In a freestall dairy barn, animals are allowed to move freely in a large pen with other cows. They also have the choice to lie down in “beds” that are typically located in the center of the pen. These “beds” are made out of sand, shavings, water mattresses or compost. Large water vats are located in the pens to ensure that the animals always have a fresh supply of clean water. Dairy cows typically drink 35 gallons of water per day. Feed is put on tiles in the alley where, animals are able to walk over and eat at their leisure. Freestalls are a great way to manage manure because they often have an alley scraper running all day that pulls the manure away from where the animals are. This reduces animal health problems as well as fly problems in the barn. Cows are typically moved to a parlor to be milked, and then returned to the freestall when they are done. Animal comfort is a key issue to any dairy farm. The more comfortable a dairy cow is, the more milk she provides. Many times the walls on free stall barns are actually curtains that raise and lower automatically depending on air temperature. Inside the barn are giant fans to keep air circulating through the barn. Some freestalls actually have misters that spray a fine mist of water on the back of the cows to help keep them cool on hot days. Hi Hope Farms LLC one of our many family run dairy farms in Jefferson County.
Hi Hope Farms LLC 12776 Monitor Mills Road Mannsville, NY 13661
