Producer Panel: Planning and Building a New Dairy Barn

Harold House and Tom Wright, OMAFRA

John ThornburnMont Pleasant Farms, Paisley

Kathy WilsonIndian Maiden Farms, Teviotdale

FARMSMART, 2013

What motivated you to build a new facility?

What types of designs did you consider and why did you choose the one you built?

How did you go about planning for your new facility? E.g. Barns visited, people you talked to, business advisors, etc.

What financial factors did you consider and what impact did they have? Eg. Low interest rates, etc.

Did current quota policies influence any of your decisions?

Questions we asked John and Kathy

What was the best thing that happened during planning or construction? The worst (or most unexpected, perhaps)?

What’s the most important thing you would tell others to look for when choosing a builder?

How did the cows and staff adjust to the new place?

What’s the one piece of advice you would give to someone considering changing their facility?

Questions Continued

Mont Pleasant FarmsJohn & Lisa Thornburn

Paisley, ON

Layout• 52 Tie Stalls

• Heifer Pens

• 172’ x 80’

Milking• 4 units

• Automatic take-offs

Tie Stalls• 52 Tie stalls

• Tail-to-tail

Special Needs• 4 Maternity pens

Heifer Pens• Raised walkway

• Wagon for straw

Heifer Pens• Scrape alley

• Gutter cleaner transfer

Manure Management• Solid manure

• Liquid run-off storage

Feed Management• TMR mixer

• Silos

• Baylage

Ventilation• Natural ventilation

• HVLS fans

Indian Maiden FarmsHarold, Lorna & Kathy Wilson

Teviotdale, ON

Layout• 2 Lely A4 Milking

Robots

• 284’ X 96’ Pack Barn

Milking• 2 Lely A4 Milking

Robots

Milking• 2 Lely A4 Milking

Robots

Compost Bedding Pack• 184’ x 61’

• 100 to 110 ft2 per cow

• Sawdust & drywall paper

What motivated you to build a new facility?

What types of designs did you consider and why did you choose the one you built?

How did you go about planning for your new facility? Barns visited, people you talked to, business advisors, etc.

What financial factors did you consider and what impact did they have?

Did current quota policies influence any of your decisions?What was the best thing that happened during planning or construction? The worst (or most unexpected, perhaps)?

What’s the most important thing you would tell others to look for when choosing a builder?

How did the cows and staff adjust to the new place?

What’s the one piece of advice you would give to someone considering changing their facility?

Questions we asked John and Kathy