Planning a dairy expansion Planning a dairy expansion

Dairy farm size is increasing in all regions of the United States. In two of the largest dairy states, California and Wisconsin, mean herd sizes have increased 950% and 250%, respectively, since 1950. Dairy herds of 500 cows are common in all areas of the United States, and herds over 1,500 cows are common in the West producand Southeast. Many dairy operations are considering expansion of existing facilities or construction of new facilities to increase efficiencyor profitability. Before adding cows or facilities, dairy producers may want to answer the following questions: 1) How can I improve the efficiency of the present operation? 2) Can production per cow be increased? 3) Can the current herd be milked 3x per day? 4) Can I send the conheifers to a contract raiser and expand the cow herd? 5) What are my financial goals? 6) Where do I want to be in 5 and 10 years? 7) What are investthe expectations of other family members? 8)Do I have adequate acreage to expand the herd and manage the waste? 9) Do I want to manage employees? 10) Do I want to deal with regulatory agencies?; Dairy Day, 1997, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 1997;


Introduction
These are just a few of the questions that many producers agonize over when considering Design-Build Concept options for their dairy operation.This report will help you explore your options and make a Many owners and managers who have made decision that will benefit your dairy operation.
the decision to expand prefer to use the design-All options must be considered to make a good build concept or a design team.These concepts decision.Expansion is a three-phase process specify that management employs a dairy design involving 1) financial evaluation, 2) design, and consultant to develop a basic design and program 3) construction.
plan to meet the client's needs.The design team and the marginal revenue per cow, as well as the amount of debt the expanded herd might carry.

Designing a New Milking Center
consists of an agricultural engineer and supporting dairy management specialists, which could include dairy extension faculty, nutritionists, Sizing the Milking Parlor milking equipment manufacturers, and veterinarians.This team approach is an efficient way The milking parlor should be large enough to to integrate desired management into physical allow management the flexibility to incorporate facilities.
premilking hygiene routines.Many large dairies Parlor Performance milked through a parlor.In this situation, milk-Performance of milking parlors has been be milked once in 8 hr when milking 2× per day, evaluated by time and motion studies to measure once in 6.5 hr when milking 3× per day, and steady-state throughput.This does not include once in 5 hr when milking 4× per day.Using time for cleaning the milking system, mainte-these criteria, the milking parlor will be sized to nance of equipment, effects of group changing, accommodate cleaning and maintenance.In and milking the hospital string.
smaller dairies or diverse operations when the C Steady-state throughput is 10 to 12% higher The number of milking cows can be calcuin new parlors than in renovated parlors.lated using the formula below: C Parlor performance may be decreased by no. of milking cows = CPH × shift length increased milk production per cow. (hours) will maximize the number of cows that can be ing parlors should be sized so that all cows can time allowed for milking is limited (6 to 10 the time cows stand on concrete and the time by having as many stalls as possible per cycle.lated using the following formula:

Holding Pens
Holding pens should be designed to allow 15 square ft per cow and to hold at least one group of cows.Many producers oversize them by 25% to allow the second group to be moved into the holding pen while the first group is still being Renovating a Parlor milked.

Exit Lanes milking parlor, provided acreage is sufficient for
Exit lane width is dependent on the number an existing milking parlor is to be updated to of stalls on one side of the milking parlor.In include these activities, appropriate measures parlors with 15 stalls or fewer per side, a clear must be taken to ensure that the waste managewidth of 3 ft is acceptable.For parlors contain-ment system can handle any expected increase in ing more than 15 stalls per side, a clear exit lane waste water flows.Storage ponds must be width of 5 to 6 ft is preferable.evaluated to ensure that adequate waste water Operator Pits able for manure and effluent application must be Operator pits are typically 8 ft wide between accommodated in the facility.curbs.The cow platform is 38 to 40 inches above the floor of the operator pit.Provisions Often, a herringbone parlor is converted to a should be made to allow for floor mat thickness, parallel or parabone parlor to increase the numif mats are to be used.The curb of the cow ber of stalls without increasing building size.platform typically overhangs the operator pit The distance between the front of the stalls to the wall by 9 inches.Normally, the operator pit and wall of the parlor should be a minimum of 6 ft to cow platform should have a 1% slope to the rear take advantage of rapid exit stalls.If a standard of the milking parlor.Operator pits typically exit is used, the number of cows milked per hour have 2 inches of side slope from the center of will be reduced by the number of stalls on one the pit to the pit walls.
side of the parlor.Often, exit lane width is too

Constructing the Milking Parlor Shell
The holding pen usually needs to be expanded Several options are available for constructing system and milk storage may need to be inthe shell of the milking parlor.If no future creased to compensate for additional milk proexpansion is planned, the building can be con-duction.The vacuum system also may need to structed with no room for expansion.This often be upgraded.is done in situations in which acreage is not sufficient for expansion.When long-term plans Selecting Cow Housing include expansion, the shell can be constructed with room to add a second parlor or add stalls to Selecting the type of housing is an important the existing parlor.If a second parlor is to be decision that should be made with the lactating added at a later date, usually the two parlors cow in mind.Several of the new large dairies in would share a common equipment and milk southwest Kansas have built drylot facilities storage facility.If additional stalls will be added versus freestalls.The climate in northeast Kanto a parlor, space should be left in the front of sas does not allow the option of building a drylot the parlor to reduce cow entry time.The holding facility to house lactating dairy cows.However, pen should be sized for the total number of cows various configurations of freestall barns will that will be milked after the expansion.The work.My preference is to build a 2-row or 4milking facility should be ventilated properly to row freestall barn.I would be concerned about maintain employee and cow comfort.Office, the level of heat stress and the limited feeding meeting room, break room, and rest room facili-area in 6-row freestall barns.Producers building ties should be incorporated to meet the needs of 6-row barns may want to seriously consider memanagement.
chanically ventilating them.It is essential that stall dimensions are correct.Figure 1 shows the Reducing the number of crossovers limits the provide upward flow of warm air.Roof slopes cow's access to feed and water.It also reduces for freestall housing should range from 4/12 to the total length available to construct the 6/12.Roofs with slopes less than 4/12 may have feedline.Very few producers stock freestall condensation and higher internal temperatures in barns at one cow per stall.The tendency is to the summer.Providing openings in addition to overstock freestall facilities.Therefore, cows alley doors on the end walls will improve sum-suffer when the number of crossovers is reduced.mer ventilation.Gable buildings should have a continuous ridge opening to allow warm air to Groups of Cows escape.The ridge opening should be 2 inches for each 10 ft of building width.Naturally Typically, large dairies would have eight ventilated buildings should have a minimum of strings or groups of milking cows.They also 50 ft between structures.
would include pens for slow milking cows, In the Midwest, freestall barns typically are springers.The slow milking pen should have oriented east to west to take advantage of sun capacity for 2% of the milking cows.The fresh angles and provide afternoon shade.Producers pen and mastitis pen should each have the capacwho orient barns north to south will have to ity for 1% of the milking cows.A minimum of construct an overhang on the west side adequate two dry cow pens and one pen for springers to shade stalls in the afternoon.Freestall barns usually is constructed.should be located as close to the milking center as possible without restricting ventilation.The Construction goal is to reduce the distance cows have to walk to and from the milking parlor.Field observa-Construction of a new facility or remodeling tions indicate that distance from the gate of the of an existing facility is a time-consuming prohousing area to the gate of the holding pen cess.In general, a minimum of 4 to 6 months is should be a maximum of 1200 ft for 2× milking, needed to construct a new facility.Because 900 ft for 3× milking, and 700 ft for 4× milking.
managers want to generate income as soon as Water Availability milking center is complete.Adequate time You should remember that high producing cause of weather and other uncontrollable varidairy cows can consume between 30 to 50 gal-ables.lons of water per day.Water should be provided to cows leaving the milking parlor.In parlors Dairy producers remodeling an existing barn that are double 25's or smaller, one trough 8 ft need to consider how cows will be milked during long is usually sufficient.In freestall housing, renovation.Options include: leasing an alternawater should be located at all crossovers, allow-tive facility; constructing temporary facilities; ing one waterer or 2 ft of tank perimeter for 10 to moving cows to another dairy during the con-20 cows.
struction; or remodeling one side of the parlor, mastitis cows, fresh cows, dry cows, and possible, cows often are ready to calve before the should be allowed for construction delays bewhile milking cows on the other.Everything possible should be done to minimize stress on the cows during this process and prevent losses in milk production.

Increasing Cow Numbers
Producers should strive to increase lactating cow numbers as soon as the facilities are completed.Realistic goals should be set to purchase the cows and move them into the new facility.Establishing milk flow as soon as possible is desirable; however, many producers have struggled with heifers calving before the new facility is complete.Producers should work with their veterinarian to minimize the risk of bringing infectious diseases into the herd.Purchasing heifers versus cows will minimize the risk of inheriting another herd's mastitis problem.
Producers who aggressively purchase heifers often underestimate the facilities and labor required when a large number of animals calve in a short period of time.

Summary
Expansion is a drawn out and sometimes tedious process.However, dairy expansions have been rewarding for many producers.Evaluating all your options is important.The guidelines in this report are benchmarks to help you get started and may have to be modified when applied to your dairy operation.Good luck in your future plans!

Figure 1 .
Figure 1.Freestall Components and Dimensions.Source: Dan McFarland, Extension Engineer, and Robert Graves, Professor, Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park 14 ft high to increase the volume of air in the housing area.The sidewalls should be Crossovers should be provided every 60 to able to open a minimum of 50% and preferably 80 ft, or a row of 15 to 20 stalls.Crossovers are 75 to 100%.Fresh air should be introduced at typically 10 to 12 ft wide.Oftentimes, producers the cow's level.Curtains on the sides of freestall reduce the number of crossovers in freestall barns allow management greater flexibility in barns to reduce construction costs.This is not a controlling the environment around the cow.good alternative from a cow's point of view.Because warm air rises, steeper sloped roofs