A2B-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, June 22, 1991
Heifer Comfort, Cleanliness Paves Way For Improved Production
ANDY ANDREWS
Lancaster Fanning Staff
MOUNT AETNA (Berks
Co.) For Donald Landis, find
ing a new heifer bam was a matter
of looking into a lot of things.
A combination of ideas “from
here and there” were put together
to create a work of dairy farming
art.
The new heifer facility on
Spring Breeze Dairy Farm is modi
fied Virginia-style, without the
short roof and the slight slope.
When time came to construct it, he
revised some of the original plans
instead of the 1-inch per foot
requirement of most designs,
Landis went to 2 inches. And
Landis lengthened the roof to pro
vide more shade in the summer and
allow better heating for heifer
warmth in the winter.
Altogether, the heifers are more
comfortable which may trans
late into better milking and more
dairy profitability for the Berks
mm i
|r
H
A con.w jd Improvements and a total mixed
rations system is slowing bringing the DHIA rolling herd
average up to satisfactory levels for Don Landis, who tends
to his calves.
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The slope of 2 Inches per foot provides more of an angle for gravity and fc.
push the manure through slats, down eight feet. After the pit fills, a valve Is opened
and, In minutes, gravity pushes the manure into the huge manure pit outside.
Co. dairy farmer.
Several improvements
Landis has made several major
improvements to his 222-acre
Dairy of Distinction farm (in addi
tion, Landis rents another 180
acres of land for cropping). He
grows most of his own feed and,
together with his son Tom, man
ages about 135 head of registered
Holstein and 120 replacement
heifers and calves.
Although the milking averages
have not been up to par, according
to Landis, (about 16,400 pounds
for the herd), a combination of
feed improvements and a total
mixed rations system is slowing
bringing it up to satisfactory
levels.
A big change in the operation
came last December, when the
new heifer bam was completed.
“We kept looking around and
we saw one with pits underneath
thr
» «* V
Don Landis has made several major improvements to his 222-acre dairy farm (in
addition, Landis rents another 180 acres of land for cropping) In Mount Aetna. He
grows most of his own feed and, together with his son Tom, manages about 135 head
of registered Holstein and 120 replacement heifers and calves.
for the high roof is that, in the wint
er, the sun will shine the whole
way back there, and heat it up.”
In the summer, the roof over
hangs enough to prevent sun from
heating up the steel pens and con
crete housing that went into the
construction of the 285 foot long
building. There are seven heifers
to a pen they are placed in the
first pen at one day old and are
rotated up the line until they are
two years old. Then, they are
moved to the main freestalls.
The slope of 2 inches per foot
provides more of an angle for grav
ity and footwork to push the man
ure through slats, down eight feet.
After the pit fills, a valve is opened
and, in minutes, gravity pushes the
manure into the huge manure pit
outside. It takes only about 18
minutes until the manure is entire
ly emptied into the large pit.
The pit is eight feet deep, 12 feet
wide, and runs the entire length of
the facility. The pens allow more
comfort and cleanliness for the
heifers.
“Naturally, the more comfort
able they are, the belter they’re
going to do for you,” he said.
Landis has completed several
other projects to add to heifer com
fort and efficiency. In addition to
the installation of a circular milk
ing parlor, about three years ago a
heifer fan and sprinkler system
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t
Seven heifers to pen
Other projects
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/m*
In the summer, the roof overhangs enough to prevent sun
from heating up the 285 foot long heifer facility. There are
seven heifers to a pen they are placed In the first pen at
one day old and are rotated up the other pens until they are
two years old. Then, they are moved to the main freestalls.
were installed,
The bam itself provides a great
deal of cooling for the heifers on
hot summer days. But the sprin
kling system can sprinkle about 60
heifers at a time on one side before
water pressure is switched to the
other side every five minutes. The
fans run constantly.
Landis said that when the temp
erature outside is 40 degrees, to a
heifer, it feels like it would to a per
son at 70 degrees. So if the outside
temperature is 90 degrees, “why,
you can imagine what the heifer
feels like,” he said. “So anything
you can do to cool them off will
make them more comfortable and
hopefully produce more milk.”
Landis also uses com fodder for
bedding. They chop the fodder in
the fall, put it into a pile like silage,
rake it, chop it with a forage
harvester, put it in a pile, and cover
it in plastic. Used fodder is then
(Turn to Pag* A 29)
combination of fans and a
timed sprinkler system for
cow comfort.