"HAVE YOU HERD"
Dairy. Design. Construction.
Projects on a grand scale
Here at RBS, we do projects large and small, but our latest is bigger than most!
This project is a brand-new 716 cubicle feed pad we’re just finishing in Methven. To give you an idea of dimensions, this pad is 160m long x 34m wide – just a bit bigger than a full-sized rugby pitch. It is exactly the same footprint as the dairy wintering shed right next to it, built by Advanced Dairy Barns of Winton. (https://www.nzdairybarns.co.nz/)
In fact, you could describe the feed pad as a wintering barn – but without the roof.
The pad is connected to the yards by two lanes, so cow flow is easily directed either way, and to either side of the pad.
Feed is distributed onto the centre lane of the pad, so the cows are free to eat whenever, or sit down on the loafing rubber mats in the resting cubicles. There are crossovers (with water troughs) at regular intervals to allow the cows to easily move between feed and resting cubicles.
The advantages of a feed pad are many (effluent retention and re-use, pasture protection, reduction in feed waste, supplement control, easy clean etc.)
The additional advantage of a cubicle feed pad over a normal feed pad is the ability to keep the cows on for extended periods of time, due to the rubber matting for resting, and to avoid lameness.
As you can imagine, we’re pretty proud of this job, and how smoothly it has gone. Construction Manager Alan notes ‘We did a good job for a good client and it all works.’
Last word goes to our client Bruce who says ‘I just knew from talking to Nigel at the get go that every aspect of the project was planned out – he’s a very organized chap. Nigel and Alan just made the job easy.’