Proponents of no-baffle barns believe a more open concept allows a more natural environment for the cows:
- Consider your climate and snow load, if applicable, and additional building costs that may be required to build a 1-to-12 or ½-to-12 roof pitch. Will column and truss sizes increase?
- Look at sidewall heights, their proximity to feed lanes and what height will be required for fan wall framing. Additional sidewall height can have a big impact on total volume of the barn (and fan cfms required). Double-stacking of fans in no-baffle sidewalls is common and may require a sidewall of 15 feet or more.
- At any roof pitch, more fans and electrical usage will be required than in a baffled barn of the same square footage. Determine your kilowatt usage, and use your weather data to determine an operating cost per cow.
- With wintertime conventional cross-venting, you can still have a cold side to the barn. Balance your inlet size and look at alternative inlets to allow adequate air speed and air mixing on your inlet side of the barn, avoiding a “cold air drop” and freezing in the first few rows.
- In northern climates, look at how many months of the year you need air velocity for cow cooling. Roll-up style baffles can balance the need for wind speed during the hot months.
Baffle barn users believe the increased efficiency of their barns outweigh any negatives:
- Reduces your number of fans and electrical usage significantly than barns with no baffles. Total volume of air needing to be moved can be cut in half, thus reducing your electric bill.
- Balances air speed through the barn (compared to non-baffled barns). While there will always be faster-moving air where there is a path of least resistance, there will be less of a contrast between the fastest air in the barn and what is felt at cow level.
- Winter solutions become more challenging, with positive pressure required between baffles or alternate air inlet strategies. Baffles create stagnant air and humidity pockets, which can affect cow health in the winter months.
- Consider your lighting layout; baffles will compartmentalize the barn and may increase your long-day lighting needs.
- Don’t install baffles thinking that you can “push air down onto the cows.” Keep in mind that the cross-sectional area below your baffles shouldn’t be less than the recommended inlet area for your fans.
Fluid dynamics shows too low of baffles will create excessive static pressure, reducing the performance of your fans and causing large flare-ups between baffles. PD
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Jeff Bowman
- Fan Expert
- Artex Barn Solutions,
