DPC066

66

THE DAIRY PRACTICES COUNCIL®

PLANNING A DAIRY COMPLEX -

“100+ QUESTIONS TO ASK”

Publication: DPC 66 Single Copy: $ 3.00

October 1996

Prepared by

FARM BUILDINGS & EQUIPMENT TASK FORCE Stanley Weeks, Director

Robert Congdon William Graves Ralph Rottier Robert Engle Joseph Moreau Marty Sailus Robert Graves John Porter Hal Schulte Rolf Reisgies Peter Wright

Sponsored by

THE DAIRY PRACTICES COUNCIL®

Robert E. Turner, President Lynn S. Hinckley, Vice President

Terry B. Musson, Executive Vice President

Order From: DPC, 51 East Front Street, Suite 2, Keyport, NJ 07735 Tel. (732) 264-2643 ht tp: / /www.dairypc .org

Abstract

This guideline raises a wide range of questions -- from mundane to complex -- regarding what issues need to be addressed when considering a dairy complex. No single source will have answers to all these questions. This is designed to be a helpful guide, leading to a successful project completion.

Table of Contents

Overall Dairy Considerations........................................................................................................ 1

Free Stall Barn .............................................................................................................................. 2

Milking Parlor ............................................................................................................................... 3

Milking System............................................................................................................................. 4

Holding Pen................................................................................................................................... 5

Utility ............................................................................................................................................ 5

Milk Room .................................................................................................................................... 6

Refrigeration ................................................................................................................................. 7

Manure/Liquid Waste.................................................................................................................... 7

Other Facilities .............................................................................................................................. 8

DPC is a Registered Trademark of The Dairy Practices Council®.

THE DAIRY PRACTICES COUNCIL® DPC 66, October 1996

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Planning a Dairy Complex-- “100+ Questions to Ask”

Overall Dairy Considerations

1. Design/Advisory Team--What sources are available for advice, review, and comments on plans/ideas?

2. What size dairy am I considering? What about future expansion? Am I going to milk 2x, 3x or 4x

per day? What production level? 3. Milk Market in my area short term? Long term trends? What about transportation charges, quality

standards, and quality premiums? 4. Locate dairy on what plot of land? How much can I afford to pay for land? How many acres do I

need to support this size dairy? Am I going to grow all my feed, just forage or none at all? How much land do I need for manure disposal? Can I contract with neighbors to supply feed and use manure?

5. Dairy farm support in this area? University? Extension? Veterinary clinic? Milk inspector? Milking

equipment dealerships? Feed companies and consultants? Financial resources -- Bank? Leasing? PCA? Farm equipment? Builders? Conservation Districts?

6. What about water? Abundant? At what cost? What quality? City water or well? 7. Plan’s for controlling stray voltage? 8. Driveways? Overall access? Security? How to handle visitors? 9. Electricity available -- 3 phase or 1 phase? At what cost? Do I pay a demand rate whether I use

electricity or not? Who pays to install primary service to dairy? What about backup generator? What size generator?

10. What permits and codes are necessary? County, State, Federal? Building permit? Zoning?

Plumbing codes? State milk codes? Water pollution regulations? 11. What financial package makes sense? Equity, debt, lease, limited partnership, or a combination of

sources? Do I have a realistic operating budget? Milk price required to cash flow? 12. Do I use a dairy planner/architect, engineer? At what cost? For what service? How to select? 13. Should I work with a general contractor? What are the advantages vs. playing this role myself?

How do I tell a good general contractor from a mediocre one?


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14. What management structure will run this dairy? Am I a cow, crop, or people person? What will be my personal role in this operation? Where will I find good employees? Who will be responsible for managing employees, cows, crops, and equipment?

15. Do I need a computer system to help manage this operation? What size computer? What software?

Where will the computer be located? How to manage financial, cow, crop, personnel records? 16. Feeding method? TMR? Hay? Silage? Commodities? Feed storage location?

Free Stall Barn

17. Drive-through or open front barn? 2-3-4 or 6-row barn? Side wall height? Covered driveway? 18. Number of groups? Size of groups? 1st calf heifer group? Hospital group? Dry cows in

separate barn? 19. Insulation? Side wall curtains? Automated or manual curtain controls? Partial or full sidewall

opening? 20. Tractor scrape or automated alley scrape? Slotted floor? Flush? Manure gutter design and

location? 21. Alley widths? Curb height? 22. Stall length? Width? Slope? Neck rail location? Brisket board? 23. Stall base -- Concrete, wood, earth, mattresses, mats? 24. Type of bedding? Amount? 25. Free stall partition type? 26. Posts 4′ on center for stall and curtain support? Other Options? 27. Feed delivery? Feeding area surface treatment? Self locks? Post and rail? Raised drive-

through? Overhead or sliding doors? Access doors? 28. Gate locations: Can one person move cows around alone? 29. Alley floor surface treatment? 30. Waterers--type and location? Gravity? Pressure? Cleanable? Flow rate? Space per cow? 31. Pass-through widths and locations for workers? 32. Lighting? Controlled day length? Intensity? 33. Cow Cooling? Fans to circulate air? Sprinklers? Misters? Fan with misters?


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34. Cows/stalls ratio? 35. Have I designed the entire barn to maximize cow comfort?

Milking Parlor

36. What throughput is required to milk herd as desired? Cows/hour? Hours/day of parlor use?

37. What type of parlor will I consider: Rotary, Herringbone, Side Opener or Parallel? Flat barn?

One, two, or three level parlor? What are advantages and disadvantages of each? 38. What size parlor(s) to realistically achieve throughput desired? How many milkers in pit? What

are the advantages of one milker in a smaller parlor vs. 2 or 3 milkers in a larger parlor? What is the throughput increase with an “All-Exit parlor? For what investment? Amount of automation?

39. If I choose a Herringbone or Parallel, what pit configuration do I desire? Wedge, straight,

pregnant? What is the ideal width of pit? Expandability? 40. What about a breezeway? What are the advantages? How does a breezeway affect receiver

location and milk line design? Floor level of breezeway relative to pit floor? What about basement parlor?

41. Recommended height of cow platform for Herringbone? For Parallel? 42. How to slope cow platform crosswise and lengthwise? Am I going to flush or hose wash cow

platform and holding pen? 43. Do I need a gutter with grates? Why? What design? How do I clean gutter? Drain location?

What type finish for platform floor? 44. What about drains in breezeway and milking pit? Best design? How do I handle milk from

treated cows? Where will liquid waste go? 45. How can I design pit floor for greatest milker comfort? What about pit mats? Adjustable pit

floor? 46. Do I need to feed or offer water in the parlor? What influence on production, efficiency, clean

up, cow throughput, maintenance and investment? 47. Stall design? Stainless or galvanized? Integrated design to include take-offs, back flush system,

pulsation, overhead lines, hosing and wiring? Welded construction? Cow visibility and comfort? People comfort and ease of operation? Sequential cow traffic? “All-Exit” feature? Adjustable front end? Easy to clean?

48. Air operated entrance and exit gates? Divert gate? Return to holding pen gate? Bull release

gate?


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49. How do I clean outside of equipment? Central pressure wash system? How long will it take after each milking?

50. What about lighting in parlor area? Light intensity and efficiency? Two rows of fluorescent

lights over milking pit? Lights over cow platform? Fixtures for wet locations? Emergency lighting?

51. What about heat and ventilation in parlor area? Duct work from equipment room to parlor? Air

flow away from equipment? Is radiant heat energy efficient? Natural ventilation for warm weather? Roof vents?

52. Rub rails on walls? 53. Ramp or steps up into holding pen? What design? 54. How do I get down cows out of parlor? 55. Insect control? 56. Hot and cold water in operator pit? 57. Worker path/passages around and through parlor?

Milking System

58. Number of milker units per side? What size milk line? One receiver or two? What size receiver and milk pump? Variable speed milk pump?

59. Type of pulsation? 70:30 alternating at 60 cycles per minute or 60:40 at 60 cycles per minute?

Why a fresh air line? How high is pulsator mounted in system? 60. What shells and liners? At what vacuum level? 61. What CIP unit and where are they stored during milking? 62. What size vacuum pumps do I need for proper milking? For wash up? What vacuum regulator?

Do I need a balance tank? Where should the regulator be located? Turbine, water ring, lobe, sliding vane pump? Variable speed? Efficiency? Back-up pump?

63. Design of pipeline CIP system? Pressure wash? Sequential wash? Amount of hot water

required? How much soap and sanitizers required? Line size needed for rapid fill? Safe storage and handling for chemicals?

64. What type take-off units? Arm or no-arm? Electronic or mechanical? What investment, life,

maintenance? What effect on labor efficiency and milking quality? 65. Do I need a back flush system? What effect on herd health? What investment?


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66. What about milk weighing? DHIA monthly? Manual weighing system? Computerized weighing system? Automatic identification system?

67. Do I use paper towels? What type of towel holders? Located where? How do I dispose of waste

towels? Cloth towels? Washer/dryer for cloth towels? 68. Pre-dip and post-dip? Spray or dip? Where do I store dispensers during milking? How about a

central dispenser for pre-dip and post-dip solution? 69. Do I need udder wash hoses in parlor? Add sanitizer to udder wash? 70. How to milk treated cows? Separate vacuum line? Separate system? Separate milking location?

Holding Pen

71. How many cows per group? What is width of holding pen based on parlor design? How long will cows be out of the barn? Relationship between parlor through-put/holding area size/group size?

72. Slope of holding pen? Floor surface treatment? Grooves size and direction? Slotted floor? 73. What type crowd gate? Lift feature necessary? 74. What about a vertical lift gate or other gates at the rear? 75. Most efficient loading of groups into holding pen? From end? From side? What about group

that is milking while I load new group? 76. Size of return lanes? Rub rails? What design to support crowd gate? One way gates? Pass-

throughs for worker access--how many? Where? Footbaths? Pre-wash footbath? How to clean footbaths? How to clean return lanes?

77. Do I need fans and sprinklers to reduce heat stress? Ventilation fans? Side wall openings?

Ridge ventilation? 78. Lighting--type and intensity? 79. Overhead door/curtain between parlor/holding area or holding area/barn? 80. Holding area cleaning? Tractor scrape? Hand scrape? Hose wash? Flush? Use CIP and

precooler water for wash-down?

Utility

81. Separate rooms for equipment dry storage and chemical storage? 82. Locations relative to parlor and milk room?


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83. What size? Room for expansion? Room for unloading and storing of supplies such as paper

towels, soaps, sanitizers, teat dips, salt, etc.? Overhead door? Provision for bulk tank? 84. What equipment in machine room? Water heaters, vacuum pumps, air compressor(s), pressure

washer, condensing units, chiller, generator, etc.? Need detail specifications on size, power requirements, water supply, drains? Space around equipment for service and maintenance?

85. Main electrical control panel located where? Capacity? Wall space required? Front clearance of

3′? Room for expansion? 86. Main water supply location? Adequate volume and pressure? Water storage for precooler

water? Water treatment needed? Adequate valving? Space for pumps, tanks, distribution manifold?

87. Raised platforms for equipment? 88. Floor drains or gutters? Lights? Storage shelves? 89. Ventilation? Combustion air for water heaters? 90. Drug storage? Lactating and non-lactating? Security? 91. Child-proof area for chemicals? Location of drums for automatic dispensing?

Milk Room

92. Location relative to parlor and utility rooms? Floor plan to avoid through traffic? Bulk truck access?

93. Size? Expensive construction - must be kept clean? Bulkhead milk tanks? Room for

expansion? Outside access? Top or bottom loading tank? 94. Location of sinks, milk tanks, plate or tube cooler, filters? 95. Lighting? Heating? Ventilation? 96. Floor drains? Gutters? Milk tank drain? Trench drains? 97. Wall surfaces? Concrete curb at bottom of walls? 98. Floor surface? 99. Covered wash sink? 100. Windows? Angled window sills? Screens? 101. Boot wash area?


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Refrigeration

102. Peak milk flow per hour? Do I need a milk balance tank? 103. Should I precool with well water through plate or tube cooler and finish cooling in direct

expansion milk tank? 104. Do I instantly cool milk with a plate cooler? Why? 105. Compressor location for summer cooling and winter heat recovery? 106. Type of milk storage -- silo or horizontal tank? What size tank do I need? Do I need two

tanks? 107. Ice builder or falling film chiller -- which is better? 108. Air cooled or water cooled condensing units? 109. What about heat recovery system to generate hot water? 110. Milk pumped directly to over-the-road milk trailer?

Manure/Liquid Waste

111. Manure long/short term storage? 112. Permits required? Cost sharing available? 113. Load/unload storage? Pump? Gravity? Bucket load? 114. Earthen storage? Liner? Who will do test pit? Soil test? Who will design? 115. Gravity pipe size? 116. Manure separation? Solids for bedding? 117. Odor control? Neighbor relations? 118. Custom manure hauling and spreading? 119. Nutrient management plan? Based on nitrogen or phosphorus? Will manure be incorporated? 120. Handling of silage seepage? Handling of milking center wastewater? Handling of barnyard

runoff? 121. Water quality concerns in area? Ground water? Surface water?


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Other Facilities

122. Employee comfort area? Telephone? Lockers? Rest rooms? Shower? 123. Cow treatment (hospital) area? 124. Office? Computer? Dust, moisture, dirt-free area for computer?


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