Forget straw - we're using sand for cows to lay on | Cow Palace E75

We tried to be a deep bedded barn, and use straw under the cows in the main barn. But it just didn't work well enough. But have no fear - sand is here! We always had planned the barn for both. Could it do sand and/or straw. It's a good thing we decided on that because we really like the sand now and won't be going back.
We still do have a couple of pens to bed with straw, which is why we're using out PICUS straw chopper on the skid steer. It works well, but not sure we'll keep it given it's a big capital investment that we really don't use very often.
But before all of that, we work at splitting some fire wood. The source: some old barn beams.
Happy watching!
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[@davidkimmel4216]

Thank you

[@daveclark2774]

Fellow farmer here. Maybe try bedding without the chopper before you sell it. We have found the straw savings warrants keeping the machine around. We use one third less straw. Just a thought.

[@FreshAirFarmer]

Good thought...probably worth trying out.

[@jocamp4837]

Have you considered Green bedding. If so what are you thoughts for not going that direction? p.s. glad to see your videos again

[@gordstatham1229]

Glad to see you’re back doing regular posts. I missed them. Love all the technology you have implemented. Very curious of the ROI when considering the financials of improving your operation. I grew up on a dairy farm with 40 + cows and recall the laborious work doing all the things you now do with machines. Love that straw chopper and of course the milking robots. I can appreciate the amount of time it takes you to move the camera around to show the different perspectives of the work you are doing but these really help me get a better idea of what you’re doing. Thanks Andrew. BTW did you name the robots?

[@FreshAirFarmer]

Thanks Gord. Happy to be back. I think what we factored our ROI to be and what it actually will be are two different numbers. The actual ROI will be faster. Give me a few months to get some better averages and I'll share what it looks like. And good or bad - Robot 1 and Robot 2 just kind of stuck. So they are just called 1 and 2.

[@rk3739]

Great video. Do you use that front walk alley to clean those bed pack pens as well? I saw no door in front of the pack.. Are the dry cows always on the pack or on stalls, and how many dry cows do you have space for?

[@FreshAirFarmer]

The 'close ups' are on the pack...ones that are set to calves in the next three weeks. Rest of the dry cows are in sand stalls. Have room for 15.

[@Justangs]

Are you able to access the pit at the end of the barn with the pump in it, if sand should build up in there?

[@FreshAirFarmer]

Yes we can. The plastic grates lift off and we can get in to either the wet pit or the dry pit with the pump.

[@haydencow]

great video. how's your calf barn coming along?

[@FreshAirFarmer]

Almost done! Got an update coming in the next video

[@nashthomas312]

What dealer sells the Picus straw chopper?

[@FreshAirFarmer]

We dealt with Knoops out of Embro.