Comfort Cow Barns is a joint venture between three long established Southland businesses. They’ve teamed up to design and build wintering barns that are the ultimate in cow comfort
Business owners (L to R), Neil Milne of Milne Building Contractors Ltd, Richard Stodart of Richard Stodart Building Ltd, and Mark McMillan of Southland Farm Services
The three partners – Richard Stodart of Richard Stodart Building Ltd, Neil Milne of Milne Building Contractors Ltd, and Mark McMillan of Southland Farm Services, each bring a vast amount of experience in the dairy industry to the Comfort Cow Barns operation.
The three businessmen spotted an opportunity in the market for wintering barns that really have the comfort of the cow built into every feature.
A lot of research has gone into the innovative Comfort Cow Barns designs, including studies of cow behaviour, and consultation with existing barn owners.
What they have come up with is the ultimate in cow comfort with a lot of attention to detail.
Mr Milne and Mr Stodart both have decades of experience working with Southland farmers and this combines nicely with the Southland Farm Services and its DeLaval products.
The Comfort Cow Barns will be fitted out with the latest DeLaval systems to ensure farmers have the best technology in their wintering or stand-off system.
The Cow Comfort Barns are designed, as the name suggests, with the comfort of the cow as a real focus. With animal welfare an issue for the farming industry, the barns include industry leading space and comfort features.
Southland Farm Services already operates a 24-hour call-out service and this would go hand-in-hand with the effluent management systems in the barns.
Comfort Cow Barns aim is to create “happy cows and happy clients” by building wintering barns that really have the comfort of the cow built into every feature.
Those features include extra spacing in the stalls with a 1200mm minimum, a selection of cushioned mattresses, clever design elements that allow for longer lunge zones, general ease of movement, and all the backscratching comforts a cow could want.
After studying the behaviour of cows in existing barns and talked to farmers about problems they had with their systems, they came up with what they believe to be the ultimate in cow comfort with a lot of attention to detail.
One example is the lack of a steel bar across the lower section of the stalls. It has been replaced by a flexible strap and a higher bar to avoid cows getting trapped and less restraint on cow movement.
A standard 36m barn width keeps costs down but farmers can choose the length to suit and can choose from other features and configurations to suit their needs.
The combined strengths of two very experienced builders, a successful farm service provider, and world class DeLaval products, means the company can deliver high class wintering barns that will keep local dairy cows comfortable, even in the harshest of Southland winters.
The Comfort Cow Barns will be fitted out with the latest DeLaval systems, ensuring that farmers have the best technology in their wintering or stand-off system.
DeLaval has a big involvement with barns in other parts of the world and has the capacity to provide products and support to meet growing demand.
The whole fit-out of the barns is taken care of and all the farmer has to do is start using it!
Everything from cow mattresses to lighting, right through to the effluent system is taken care of. We offer a turn-key project, everything is included.
Many customers will already be used to dealing with one or more of the partner businesses and not much will change. Their project will be managed for them, allowing for easy communication and avoiding having to deal with lots of different contractors.
Only New Zealand fabricated and galvanised steel is used in the construction of the barns, ensuring quality is maintained to a consistently high standard.
No two farmers are doing their wintering barns exactly the same and each client gets a barn tailored to their needs, with specific calving areas designed if needed.
The Cow Comfort Barns are designed, as the name suggests, with the comfort of the cow as a real focus.
Alley widths and cow bedding sizes are a bit bigger in the Comfort Cow Barns and there are other luxuries such as automatic, rotating cow brushes.
Southland Farm Services operate a 24-hour call-out service to back up the system, should any problems arise.
Don't hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions or would like further information about our cow barns.
