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Home My WebLink AboutThe Citizen, 2019-05-23, Page 10PAGE 10. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MAY 23, 2019. Over 25 fans are whirring at the back of the black building, pulling in fresh air so rapidly that there is a full air exchange in the dairy barn every 50 seconds. Popular in dairy states such as Wisconsin and gaining traction in Ontario, tunnel-ventilation barns such as the new one at Guntensperger Dairy near Seaforth are cool, fresh, and expansive. Lorenz Guntensperger is the owner/operator of this new 330-stall dairy along with his parents and brother. It’s a modern-looking facility with its sheer black, plastic Lexan-panel walls and huge white fans. Turkey curtains at the front of the farm allow air intake. Choosing this system took some research, admits Lorenz, who had been milking cows in the new barn only four weeks at the time of this interview. “We hope the air quality will be more controlled over 12 months than other barns that have fans running just in the summer,” says Lorenz. Currently, fan usage sits around 40 per cent. The goal is increased cow comfort by keeping the barn cooler with fresh air all year long. “We’re just in the barn and so far, it’s great. Once we are in it for a year, we will know much more,” admits Lorenz. When the fans are running, the barn is noisier than a naturally- ventilated barn but Lorenz says he is already used to the hum. In terms of proximity to the house, the barn was angled so that the rear fans would be 600 feet from the house. A bonus of tunnel ventilation is that it creates negative pressure in the barn and flies don’t like negative pressure. That, combined with sawdust usage in the maternity and dry cow pens, will hopefully reduce fly pressure in the barn. The barn was constructed in an L- shape in preparation for future growth. If the dairy industry picks up steam, or the next generation wants to farm as well, room has been set aside on the parlour part of the L to directly connect another barn. The GEA parallel parlour, currently a double 12, has space to become a double 20. Right now, the family milks 170 cows with part-time help and has plans to grow to 260 milk cows. The barn is at 70 per cent capacity. They chose a parlour versus robots because of cost and personal preference. “I like getting the cows milked and feeling like that job is done,” says Lorenz. “Also, we would have needed three robots which equalled the cost of the new parlour. But with the parlour, we can triple our size with just the cost of extra labour. With robots, we’d have to install more at significant cost.” The parlour was designed and installed by Dairy Lane Systems Lorenz says he likes to keep things simple but is willing to invest in technologies when they have good payback. It’s partly why they also went with a skid steer versus alley scrapers to scrape the manure out the barn. Sand bedding is hard on chains and equipment and given the length of the barn (480 feet by 105 feet wide), the alley scrapers would have generated a wave of manure before reaching the end. Any cow sloshing through that “wave” could have ended up very dirty. However, the family did choose to invest in other technologies. The parlour has an underground room to house all the vacuums, lines, hoses and meters to keep the parlour clean and uncluttered. The ventilation is controlled by an Edge dashboard much like you would see in a chicken barn. A quick glance at the screen shows there is temperature difference of about two degrees from the front and back of the barn. Lorenz also hopes to install SomaDetect sensors in the parlour to collect data on milk components and measure somatic cell count, ketosis levels and hormone levels to test for pregnancy. “We hope the SomaDetect will help us save on veterinary costs, labour time, and lost days from not knowing if a cow is pregnant or not”, says Lorenz. So far, Lorenz is more than pleased with the barn. Milk production dipped only slightly over the move and has now increased by one litre per cow with a 4.15 to 4.35 butterfat percentage. Lorenz is planning to change the ration to focus more on milk yield. Though it was a long and stressful build given the weather conditions this past fall and winter, the bulk of the work is done. The office, chemical storage and employees’ room need to be finished as do the lanes around the barns. It’s still pretty mucky. Also, Lorenz has plans to create a pasture on the road side of the barn for the dry cows. “I love cows. I love to see them outside when I drive by,” he said. Once the number-crunching was done and the courage was found to take on the financial risks of a large expansion, Lorenz became excited about the challenge of becoming a large-farm operator. On a practical level, he enjoys the efficiency of the new build and says it’s just more enjoyable to work in. He’s excited that it situates the family for both modest or aggressive growth. “The cows like it better and I enjoy it too. I don’t want to ever milk 1,000 cows but I don’t want to stop growing either,” says Lorenz. Seaforth-area dairy farm employs tunnel ventilation The new way Lorenz Guntensperger is seen here at his Seaforth-area dairy farm where he has employed a new tunnel-ventilation system. The barn includes dozens of fans, which suck air through the 330-stall barn, which stands 480 feet long and 105 feet wide. The goal is to bring fresh air through the barn every 50 seconds for optimal cow comfort. (Lisa B. Pot photo) The “Vow”Factor Wedding Package Stag & Doe 2" wide x 4" high Engagement 4" wide x 3" high Card of Thanks 25 words Wedding Announcement 4" wide x 4" high Prebook all 5 ads in The Citizen for only $100 Savings of over $100 Be part of our Bridal Showcase Call or email today 519-523-4792 or info@northhuron.on.ca WOW! Watson’s Home Hardware 3 Locations Blyth, Gorrie and Listowel Saturday, May 25th 8 am - 4 pm No Early Birds Cash & Carry Only By Lisa B. Pot The Rural Voice On display The Blyth Festival Art Gallery held its annual Community Show on Saturday, welcoming artists both new and familiar to the gallery walls. Here, Kelly Stevenson, who has had her own exhibit in the gallery in years past, poses with her piece in this year’s non-juried show. (Hannah Dickie photo)