1 year down!

This month will mark one year since we began our blog!  Our first post was about a trip to Rick's sister's farm, where we toured their compost bedded pack barn.....then we built one!

The cows have been in the barn for almost 6 months now.  It is working out quite nicely.  We finally got the tilling and bedding system down, and the cows seem to be comfortable, especially given the weather this winter.  The most popular housing in our area is a free-stall barn, so many people are unfamiliar with how these barns are managed.   Here's a quick peek:

The rotary tiller incorporates the manure and bedding, creating the compost.



It mixes up the manure piles and makes a nice, soft, fluffy bed for the cows.

Next, new shavings are spread on top using the spreader.

New bedding material is added every other day during the milking season, and every third or fourth day during the dry season.

 

Ready for the cows!

 

 



Later this Spring when the cows go out to pasture, we'll use the compost for fertilizer on the hay fields, pasture, and our garden.  If you need a pick up load for your garden, let us know!

Don't forget to visit the farm's FB page ( Grazeway Dairy ) to enter the first day of calving contest. You could win a farm shirt or mug, your choice!

Have a great day!

-Terri