Blog

Planning a Dairy and Dairy Parlor

It takes careful planning to start a new dairy. Dairy farming most often centers around cows, although sheep, goats, and buffalo also provide niche markets. They are all important aspects of agricultural food production. A commercial operation is one thing, but even a small sheep or goat dairy will challenge your ingenuity.

So, new dairy farmers need to be aware. Dairy farming requires energy, determination, research, money, capital, property–and a livestock building with dairy modifications to act at a dairy parlor and holding area. You’ll need to study all things about the industry to start up a dairy farm.

Lots of Decisions

So, get set for some serious studying about farming practices. You’ll need to know about breeding, calving, managing manure, weaning, milking cows, and crop management. Before you can decide what size and layout that your dairy parlor or holding area need, you figure out the intended size of your operation.

Considerations run the gamut. For example, do you want to process milk, cream, cheese, and butter on site? Or will you send the milk to a processing factory? Are you going to go organic? Will you breed, use artificial insemination. And do you have the resources?

Basic To Do List

Your goal is to raise healthy cows (or other milk-producing animals) and produce high-quality milk. When you get buzzing, you’ll be milking and feeding the cows. Delivering calves may be the most exciting job on a dairy farm.

To sell milk and dairy products, you’ll be required to draft a detailed program for the health of your herd as well as reproduction and calf care. You’ll also need a comprehensive health care plan for your animals.

Planning a Dairy Farm

Contact your university agricultural extension departments, government agencies, and other dairy farms for in-depth guidance. In addition, you will find books and comprehensive manuals on this topic. Below are some basic planning activities.

1.  Research species and breeds
2. Determine the acreage required for your operation
3. Develop a plan for breeding
4. Gather capital to pay for:
   land
   milk storage
   protected dairy barn
   milking parlor
   feed storage space
   living space for calves
   water sources
5. Create marketing plan
6. Find sources of animals that thrive in Colorado
7. Determine all legal requirements
8. Build a business plan

Dairy Farm Management

Good management is crucial for the success of dairy farming. Unless you only intend to keep a few cows for your own use, you’ll find you need a good business plan. This document will draw together the many details you’ll need to have in the sphere of your awareness. It will also direct your decisions and actions.

Make a plan that ensures your dairy animals become your greatest asset. They are often your biggest investment, depending on the size of your dairy farm. So, you need to make sure the breed of cattle you select is the best available for your intended outcome. Some breeds produce more fat than others, making their milk better for making cream. Others may have higher protein content and are suitable for making cheese.

When it comes to expenditures, concentrate on the essentials first. You’ll need high-quality animals, helpful equipment, effective nutrition, feed, and health care, dairy barns, and property.

Dairy Barn Designs and Materials

#118746

Of course, you want your dairy to produce the healthiest animals and milk products possible. Remember, you need healthy animals and good products to create a profitable business. So, plan on choosing high-quality liners for your dairy parlor with a holding area. Here’s a glimpse of what we mean.

Project #118746 (above)

Take a look at this safe and clean dairy parlor and holding pen in Minnesota. The Bone White color scheme, set off with Barn Red gables, and brick landscape edging, goes well with the white fencing on the property.

This pole building features a 4/12 roof pitch. The dimensions are 45′ x 105′ x 13′ for the parlor holding section and 40′ x 36′ x 13′ for the utility and milk room.

The building has Nudo plank walls and a vaulted parlor ceiling, and the milk room has the plank walls also. The holding section has a vaulted insulated ceiling with a Nudo plank at the inverted V section.

There is also a basement under the operator pit parlor. The subway system also features the easy to clean Nudo planking on the walls and ceiling.

Project #313358

#303358

This dairy parlor and holding area is in Ohio. note the three tall cupolas! A color scheme utilizes Barn Red as a primary color and Bone White for the secondary color. The building dimensions are 100′ x 66′ x 14′. The parlor is 40′ x 54′ x 14′.

Contractors – Farm & Ranch Outbuildings

Call Sapphire Construction, Inc. in Castle Rock at (303) 619-7213. Each pole building that we design and build incorporates high-quality, engineer-tested materials from Lester Buildings. In addition, our experts can help with new roofs and remodeling barns for all farm and ranch uses.