Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
small farmers probably just need to store their milk in a
bulk tank
, which is a stainless steel
refrigeration unit that keeps milk cool until collection. These tanks come in sizes from about
600 gallons to about 8,000 gallons. A common type of cooling equipment on large dairies is a
plate cooler
, which precools milk before it gets to the storage tank. The warm, fresh milk
flows on opposite sides of steel plates from cool water, transferring its heat to the water. This
saves electricity that would have been used to cool the milk in the holding tank.
Permanent lanes
Permanent travel lanes take on extra importance on grazing dairies because cattle are moved
from the field to the barn once or twice a day for much of the year. These lanes are necessary
because the cow procession is tough on the land and leads to compacted, muddy lanes. You
want your travel lanes to be wide enough to move the whole herd, but there is no set formula
for this. Some farmers march their animals single file like ants down 2-foot-wide lanes. Often,
farmers go with 24-foot-wide lanes to allow access for tractors or other equipment.
Cows do not like walking around sharp corners, so you need gentle, looping corners. A good
travel lane will be made of firm, flattened material such as clay, which is crowned in the
middle like a road. It should be covered with a soft, safe, natural material such as lime so the
animals' hooves are not injured during the walk. You should find materials with these general
qualities that are native to your area because it is expensive to truck in materials from other
areas of the country. When designing the lanes, use an aerial map, but also walk the farm to be
sure there are no unexpected hills or other challenges. Match the topography so your lane
does not impede the natural flow of water; otherwise, you will have to add culverts to allow
water passage. Try to plan the lanes so there is natural shade so the animals do not have to
make the trek in the heat.
Handling manure
Manure collects in milking areas and must be removed. If you have a small number of anim-
als, you can just shovel the manure into a wheelbarrow and take it to a compost pile. Larger
dairy barns have slots in the floors behind the animals so manure will fall into a pit beneath
the floor of the barn where it can be collected later. Some dairies flush the floor with water.
You also can scrape the manure with an attachment for a skid steer. This manure later can be
used on your field, either as compost or sprayed directly on pasture.
