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Our shelters are the ideal solution for composting barns.
By providing animals a sheltered space with clean, dry bedding, composting barns help to improve herd health, and open up the possibility and enhance the productivity of winter milking. In a composting barn, an aerobic system of ‘good bugs’ composts the effluent, keeping the bedding dry and your herd healthy. And once the bedding is taken out, it can be used as a nutrient-rich fertiliser.
We use large timber poles for our Composting Barns. Read more about our Timber Post Mounted Shelters
Make the smart choice for your farm. Choose a SmartShelters composting barn.
The bedding consists of wood chips. Microbes are introduced to the bedding through the cow effluent. These microbes break down the carbon in the bedding, starting aerobic activity, and this process creates a side effect of heat. The temperature builds up to 40-50 degrees at a depth point of 300mm, this causes the moisture and urine in the bedding to evaporate naturally.
NOTE: The bedding needs to be ripped each day by a ripper to a depth of at least 500mm.
The bedding will last 2-5 years, depending on usage. The nutrient value of the composted bedding more than pays for the cost of the installation and is evident when farmers get lab tests of bedding before it’s taken out and spread.
Reduction of mastitis levels and elimination of lameness
The composted bedding provides nutrient-rich fertiliser for spreading on crops or pastures in spring.
Production not affected by weather events and summer heat stress
Benefits to cow and calf welfare by calving inside on warm dry bedding
Sacrifice paddocks and pugging eliminated
Clear spans provide industry leading airflow and natural light.
Have better control over effluent through capture and containment
"We've pulled calves out of the mud, and it takes a long time for the pasture to recover. The shelters have made a huge difference to the land"
‘‘The cows are shiny, happy, and fat here. They are probably in the best condition we have had cows in winter.’’
“We are growing cow condition every year, and our pastures are being looked after, and we are getting more grass”. Feed savings are rising, and there’s little wastage."
By providing cover for your herd and allowing the use of sawdust and other forms of clean, warm, and dry bedding, composting barns can measurably improve the health of your animals, subsequently reducing your veterinary bills.
The composting process that occurs beneath the cows produces natural heat, with bedding warmth reaching temperatures of 40 °C to 60 °C. This helps to evaporate any residual moisture and works to kill pathogens, thereby reducing the incidence of mastitis.
For a composting barn to be healthy for cows, feeding along each side requires a concrete scraper lane for the cows to stand on and 750mm of feed face/cow.
A deep ripper attachment is necessary to mix and introduce oxygen into the bedding twice daily, benefiting both cow and bedding/compost health.
The best composting barn will be one that is built to your needs, by an experienced team, with the highest quality materials.
At SmartShelters, we design barns to offer comfortable space of 8-10m² per cow (depending on annual use and whether feeding is inside the structure or on a separate feed pad) and 750mm of feed space per cow.
With a rounded design with a high roof, our composting barns feature industry-leading airflow, which is critical to the composting process of the bedding while also decreasing the likelihood of your herd contracting airborne disease.
Interested in setting up a composting barn? The first step is to identify a flat, well-drained area on your property. While you can expect to significantly reduce or eliminate effluent runoff with a composting barn, drainage remains crucial if you are to keep the bedding dry.
The next—and final—step is a simple one. Call SmartShelters to book an appointment. Our experienced team will listen to your needs and find a solution that’s right for you. We’ll then construct the composting barn in quick time, allowing you to enjoy the benefits sooner.
There are two methods of fermentation composting – aerobic and anaerobic. Anaerobic can be thought of as ‘natural’ decomposition, while aerobic seeks to replicate natural decomposition, while speeding up the process and enabling it to be undertaken on larger scales.
The differences are best summed up in table form:
SmartShelter composting barns utilise aerobic composting, meaning organic materials are turned into fertiliser faster and on larger scales, while also killing dangerous pathogens.
Composting barns should be cleaned out at least once a year, although this timeframe will depend on what the bedding-turned-fertiliser is intended to be used for – whether to fertilise your own crops or to sell as a finished compost product. 15-30cm of bedding should be left in the barn to help kickstart microbial activity in the new pack.
Starting up a fresh compost bed is usually done in autumn, so that the heat from decomposition is at its peak during the colder winter months. You’ll want to restart your bedding during a period when daily highs are above 10C for a four to six week stretch. This ensures that a good amount of heat is being generated by the time the cooler weather hits.
Atop the 15-30cm of residual bedding you should place 30cm of dry bedding – usually either sawdust or fine wood shavings. You’ll then need to stir the pack regularly – ideally twice a day – to kickstart the aerobic composting process and ensure there’s a soft, dry surface for your herd to enjoy.
Contact our experienced team today to discuss a truly smart shelter solution for your property.
Protect what matters with New Zealand-made shelters built on 100 years of trusted expertise. Contact us today!
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