Jersey Girl’s Feed Pad with Flood Wash

While composting barns can be highly effective for many farms, there are instances where the system doesn’t suit specific farming conditions. Jersey Girls farm near Winton experienced such challenges, with their composting barn failing to meet expectations due to unsuitable weather conditions, including cold temperatures, high winds, and significant rainfall. These factors led to wet, messy conditions that hindered the composting process and led to high maintenance and cow discomfort. Our team, led by Construction Manager Bart Geypen, was called in to address these issues. We introduced a solution with rubber matting and a flood wash system to enhance cow comfort and farm efficiency.

Project Scope and Objectives

The primary objective of the project was to create a system that ensured cow comfort by providing a dry and clean environment while also being practical and user-friendly for the farmers. The existing composting system failed to meet expectations, leading to wet conditions, cow discomfort, and significant annual costs related to mulch replacement and maintenance.

Key Components and Features of the System Conversion

Bart Geypen, the Construction Manager, explained, “This setup has a 1.7% slope. Each barn is 26 meters wide and gets flushed with 60,000 litres of greenwash water in under five minutes.”

• Siesta Mats: Used for the wintering setup, providing a softer and more comfortable surface for cows to lay on continuously.
• 1.7% Slope: Each barn, measuring 26 meters wide, was designed with a slope to facilitate the flood wash system.
• Greenwash Water System: Utilizes 60,000 litres of water to clean each barn in under five minutes.
• Flood Wash System: Includes two interconnected storage tanks of 30,000 litres each. The tanks release water through a main pipe with risers every 300mm, creating a wave that cleans the area.
• Effluent Management: Captured at the end of the barns, the effluent is stored in a 160,000-liter sump and pumped back to the main effluent setup for reuse.

Outcomes and Performance

The new system has significantly improved cow comfort, keeping them dry and clean. The farm now uses the flood wash system three times a day, saving approximately five hours of labour daily compared to the previous year. Bart emphasized the financial benefits, stating, “The combination of savings in mulch, labour, and tractor running costs gives this setup a much greater ROI.”

Feedback from Jersey Girls Farm Team

The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. The team reports that the cows are comfortable, dry, and clean, and the flood wash system is simple enough to allow staff to handle daily tasks efficiently. “The initial feedback has been amazing,” Bart shared. “Cows are comfy, dry, and clean. It’s saving them five hours of labour a day compared to last year in the composting barn.”

Advice for Other Farmers

Bart advises other farmers to consider the ROI, factoring in labour, tractor, mulch, and feed savings. He emphasizes the importance of maintaining the greenwash system efficiently and performing flood washes at least once a day to avoid build-up. “Doing a ROI considering labour, tractor, mulch, feed saved, etc., might show how affordable it really is,” he recommended.