Renovationproject Heidenskip Holstein
"The cows are lying down more"
Julius and son Julius Jr. of Heidenskipster Holstein have been able to renovate the existing dairy barn with smart solutions for more comfort for cow and farmer.
With local dealer Henk de Boer Melktechniek in Jellum, the Kuipers family soon decided that they wanted to renovate the barn together with Royal De Boer. Heidenskipster Holstein has 105 dairy cows in It Heidenskip. New cubicles, cow mattresses, feed fences, a manure robot and even two GEA milking robots were built in the existing barn from 1985. “We didn't even have to adjust much,” says Julius Jr., who recently joined the partnership. “The Akwatopsoft waterbeds were the only right choice for us. We visited a barn with, and a barn without these waterbeds. The difference in the legs of the cows was enormous. Now that we have them ourselves, we also see a big difference. The cows lie down much more”, says Kuipers enthusiastically.
More space for the cow
Thanks to the flexible B3130 cubicle, the cows have more space when lying down and standing up. “The cows are getting bigger and bigger, so we have the new boxes at a width of 115 cm,” explains Julius Jr.. “The flexible cubicles ensure that the cow does not injure itself and can easily leave again, a big difference with the rigid cubicles”, Kuipers experiences, who has even been able to save a cow that was lying over the knee tree.
Manure robot makes a big difference
“Thanks to the new Twist & Lock safety gate with a tube that hinges at the bottom, a cow can easily get up and get away if she unexpectedly falls,” explains Julius jr. enthusiastically. The easy fastening and individual release of the feeding fences is a handy additional advantage. The new manure robot, the SR-one from Royal de Boer, also makes a big difference. “With our old manure scraper, the manure sometimes wanted to accumulate to a pile of one metre, but we are no longer bothered by that. And the cows are not at all afraid of the manure robot”, concludes Julius Sr. with satisfaction.
With this renovation, Heidenskipster Holstein is ready for the future.
Do you also want to renovate your existing stable? Please contact Royal de Boer via info@royaldeboer.com.