At Pagel’s Ponderosa, a newly built barn keeps cows comfortable and healthy during their dry period while allowing individualized care upon freshening. “We believe we will be able to do an even better job with these cows so we can get them off to a great start,” John Pagel says.
As owner of the 5,000-cow dairy near Casco, Wisconsin, Pagel worked closely with his dairy herd manager, Chris Szydel, and their consultant team to meticulously plan every detail of this barn to achieve an even higher level of comfort and care for dry and fresh cows.
Those efforts are evident in the herd’s stellar health records with a low incidence of displaced abomasum (1.8 percent) and ketosis (15 percent), and high calf survivability with only 3 percent dead on arrival (DOA).
Szydel attributes this success to focusing attention on steam-up and fresh cows, and specific features of the barn’s layout and design make that possible.
Maternity area
With only two full-time employees managing an average of 500 calvings each month, the maternity area is streamlined for easy and efficient fresh cow care.
The dairy practices just-in-time calving. As cows go into labor, they are moved from group pens to one of nine 12-foot-by-20-foot individual calving pens.
After calving, cows are walked down a lane to a processing pen equipped with every item needed to get them off to a healthy start. The fresh cow enters a built-in stall with a headlock to restrain her while receiving a calcium bolus, I.V. or other necessary treatment.
This stall is designed with a raised platform and swing-out sides to give workers 360-degree access around the animal. Conveniently, she can also be milked right in this stall.
Promoting a calm, distraction-free environment at calving is high on the list for Szydel, which is why a concrete wall separates the processing pen from the view of the calving pens. “It is so quiet right here, you can hear a pin drop,” he says. “To me, that is important.”
Cows that calve problem-free are first moved to a 24-foot-by-20-foot waiting pen before making their way to the lactating cow barn for their second milking. Those that need further surveillance stay in a high-attention pen located next to the processing pen. With offices, break room and utility rooms located across from this area, workers are able to keep a close eye on the cows that need it most.
Newborn calves receive equally great care. After their colostrum feeding, they are immediately moved to individual stalls located across the lane from the calving pens. Twice daily they are picked up and transported to the dairy’s calf-raising facilities.
The entire maternity area has in-floor heating which reduces the chance of ice build-up in the winter, thus preventing fresh cows from slipping and falling.
The barn’s design takes the stress out of pen moves. A series of drover lanes connects the pens throughout the barn and maternity area, making moving cows individually or in groups smooth and simple.
“It’s easy for the cows and the person moving them,” Pagel notes.
Stall comfort
More than half of the herd is crossbred with plans to continue moving away from the purebred Holstein. Stalls are sized at 46 inches to accommodate the crosses and heifers, and 48 inches for the moderately sized Holsteins.
In accordance with the University of Wisconsin’s recommendations, the stalls feature a sloped concrete brisket. The dairy’s manure digester provides the biosolids for the deep beds, which are filled and leveled once each day.
Stocking density
Pagel strives for no more than 100 percent stocking density in the 1,286-stall dry cow barn. The goal for early dry cows is one cow per stall, and the barn was built for 90 percent capacity in the steam-up pen based on peak calving.
Stocking density is supervised daily by pulling a report of pen numbers.
“We monitor overcrowding religiously,” Szydel adds. “I will overstock the milk cows if I need to in order to avoid overcrowding the dry cows.”
To minimize social stress and bunk competition, cows and heifers are kept in separate pens prior to calving and upon freshening.
Ventilation and cooling
Tunnel ventilation keeps a steady 8 to 9 mph breeze going through the barn, and the insulated roof helps to maintain a moderate temperature.
To enhance dry cow cooling, there are plans to install a sprinkler system over the feeding area.
“The research is showing now that having sprinklers to keep dry cows cool leads to improvements after they freshen, so we are doing that, too,” Pagel adds.
During the winter, cupola fans along the roof will run to remove moisture and maintain air quality without making the barn too cold.
Pagel’s Ponderosa recognizes that enhancing cow comfort and equipping workers with the means to efficiently address and assist fresh cows are essential steps in setting cows up for a healthy transition into the milking herd.
“A good lactation depends on the dry cow period,” Szydel adds. “If she gets well-rested here, she can produce more milk in the future.” PD
PHOTOS
PHOTO ONE: After a cow begins going into labor at Pagel’s Ponderosa near Casco, Wisconsin, she is moved to an individual calving pen where she will give birth before moving to the processing pen for her first milking.
PHOTO TWO: One of the highlights of Pagel’s new barn is the fresh cow processing pen. A permanent stall allows workers to perform fresh cow protocols with ease, including milking and treating.
PHOTO THREE : Cows requiring extra care are held in the high-attention pen before making their way to the milking string. Located within view of the office, workers can keep a close eye on these cows.
PHOTO FOUR: Dairy herd manager Chris Szydel is pleased with the new 1,286-stall dry cow barn and maternity area at Pagel’s Ponderosa. A series of drover lanes like the one shown here connects pens throughout the tunnel-ventilated barn for stress-free cow movement. Photos by Peggy Coffeen.
See more photos in slideshow format.
Peggy Coffeen
Editor
Progressive Dairyman
