Overview

Raine Farms are proud ethical farmers, so when they found out the benefits of a composting barn they made the investment in their cows health and installed two to provide warmth and shelter during winter. Happy cows produce quality milk.

In addition to the animal bedding provided for the cows composting barn, they also use Azwood’s Woodmatt. This provides a warm layer for the young calves to rest while also draining and absorbing effluent to provide a clean environment, reducing the risk of disease. 

Background

The Saxton/Raine family has owned and worked Oaklands milk since 1842 and in more recent times offer pasturised milk for sale from vending machines at the farm gate and stations around the Nelson region. "We think that our milk is pretty special. We pamper our cows and let them graze the 500 hectares of soft rolling hills. We have rigorous hygiene and safety procedures, with continual checks and audits to ensure our milk meets Oaklands strict quality standards." Recently, Raine Farms installed two composting barns to increase the health of the cows during winter and reduce food wastage.

Challenges

Raine Farms found they were losing 30% of their feed out in the paddocks from the cows standing on it and it being spread and absorbed into the ground. They wanted to find a solution for 0% waste.

Assessment

We were approached by Raine Farms who were in the initial stages with Smart Shelters the builders of their composting barn. After a discussion with them, we discovered they currently had ample amount of wood chip available to them which they intended to repurpose as the base layer of the barns but they were after a product to blend with this to provide ultimate comfort and absorbency for the cows. 

Azwood has a range of absorbent animal bedding products to suit the different needs within the agriculture industry.

As Raine Farms already had a source for the base layer we recommended a surface layer of Barnmatt. The combination of their woodchip and our Barmatt would provide the required drainage and absorption while also giving the cows shelter and a warm layer to rest, especially as we come into winter. 

What is a Composting Barn?

Composting barns or "Mootels" are like no other type of barn. They are open structures that focus on cow comfort. In a composting barn, an aerobic system of ‘good bugs’ composts the effluent, keeping the bedding dry and your herd healthy. 

They can be a great enhancement to animal welfare and there is minimal smell (very different to most barns). They can fit seamlessly into the dairy industry and in the process solve key environmental problems.

Outcome

By installing two composting barns Raine farms were able to solve their food wastage issue. Instead of feeding the cows out in the paddocks which contributed to up to 30% of their waste, they now have a concrete pad down the sides of the composting barns that allows them to spread the feed out and without treading on the feed they are able to consume everything, reducing their waste down to 0%.

In addition to this, they have provided a warm shelter and bed to escape the cold winter months which is essential to the cow's health and well-being. The cows spend their evenings in the composting barns and during the day are let out into the paddocks. During this time the animal bedding is turned daily to keep it fresh and to allow the composting process to take place. And once the bedding is taken out, it can be used as a nutrient-rich fertiliser.