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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen-Agriculture 2001, 2001-03-14, Page 28Step into the parlour Sandra Schuttel, daughter of the farm owners Peter and Annelies of Colborne, and Dave Franken, builder, stand in the state-of-the-art computerized milking parlour at the Schuttel farm. Sixteen head can be miled at one time. PAGE A-8 THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14, 2001. Builder says Colborne dairy barn, one of a kind for area By Janice Becker Citizen staff Though the main structures which house the dairy cattle of Peter Schuttel of Colborne ward may be 10 years old, the builder who helped raise that barn says it is still state of the art. "There is nothing else like it in the area;" says Dave Franken. "There may be another in the province now, but when this was built it was unique." But then unique and to his own lik- ing seems to be what Schuttel does. Originally from Switzerland, Schuttel has traveled extensively around the world, says his daughter, even spending six months in New Zealand before deciding to settle in Canada. .One element which helped him choose this country as his new home was the manner in which the animals were treated, a constant considera- tion for Schuttel. Daughter Sandra provided a tour of the facility, describing the individ- ualistic features of the operation which she said have allowed much more of the work to be handled by one person and has increased the comfort of the -animals. The first section is the milking par- lour where either side is lined with rows of computerized milkers. Sixteen head can be milked at one time. The equipment tracks the animal's code number and production level notifying the operator if there is a substantial drop-off in volume. For the comfort of the farmer, the central aisle is padded with rubber matting to make for easier walking. Divided into three groups, the first to enter the milking bays are the cows in first lactation. When the pen is opened to allow movement into the milking area, a gate (not electri- fied) slowly drops behind them, nudging them forward. The animals pass through a foot washing tray to help prevent disease. Once in the computerized sections, the udders are washed and the equip- ment hooked on. One 'of the greatest time and money savers, says Schuttel, is the automatic detaching of the milker: "This alloWs one person to do the job." When all the cows have finished, the feeding trough lifts, the cows move out and the next 16 move in. The older cows, those which have gone through more than one lacta- tion are kept separate from the young animals as they are more aggressive in the feeding bank, she adds.- The last animals to be milked are those that have just freshened or are weakened by an illness. The separa- tion enables the operator to keep a close watch on them. The warm milk is water-cooled to 4*C. Because the water piping runs through the floors, the release of heat warms the parlour. That same water is recycled back for use by the cattle. The milk is held in an 8,000 litre bulk tank for pick-up every two days. The recycling in the facility defies for the cow to be hoisted upside down or for legs to be bent for an extended period of time. This concept was derived from versions seen in Europe, a common theme in Schuttel's facilities. One of the latest additions to the complex„is the calf building, con- structed as a greenhouse-style dwelling which provides protection from the elements while allowing ample daylight to filter through the translucent covering.. Schuttel says before the construc- tion of the calf barn, they had used hutches. The attached barn now allows for easier care in the winter as the animals are nearer food and water sources without the need to carry supplies. The tour now enters the "cafeteria" section of the facility where the rations for the cattle are mixed. Using a combinatioriof high mois- ture corn, wet distiller's corn, hay- lage, corn silage, soya meal, bran and grainage, the cows' nutrition is monitored. Schuttel shows off an interesting additive used by her father to increase the palatability of the TMR, a sweet, powdery byprod- uct which comes in strawberry or chocolate flavours. The final area of the tour is the free-stall barn which builder Franken boasts is a rarity in the industry. The first impression is one of openness and brightness. The expan- sive panels along the full length of the barn permit abundant natural light to filter into the space, making it appear to be open-air. The space is also impressive. The lack of roof trusses allows the roof joists to soar high above. The lami- nated wood beams which support the roof are 5.5 inches by 22 inches, Franken estimates, and create a -58 foot clearspan. He. also notes, "The barn was built for a high snow load, greater than current standards. Peter said he was not going up on a roof to shovel." The no-truss concept went beyond just the appearance of airiness, says Franken. "(Schuttel) didn't want birds perching on beams, bringing disease with the droppings." The barn is also very quiet. The natural ventilation allows for the elimination of noisy fans, says the owner's daughter and the air quality is better. The panels are controlled by a thermostat, raising and lowering as the temperature dictates. The stall areas were also designed with animal comfort in mind, she says. The tear-proof mats made from shredded tires are gentle under foot " :; • and the area allotted each animal is wider and longer. Scrapers skim the floor on an ongoing basis to keep manure build- up to a minimum, but Schuttel says regular human maintenance is need- ed to get waste out of crevices. Schuttel points out the California- developed gates used to_ hold the cows' heads. The gate structure allows the head to be withdrawn whether the cow is standing or lying, particularly good for a downed ani- mal. The head gates also make it easy to lock in the animals for checks, she adds. After rubbing a few heads and talking to one of the senior cows, Schtittel opens doors to an original barn as a reminder of the past. The ceilings are very low, the area is dark and the cattle are housed in small wooden pen areas. In another section, she shows an earlier version of free stall and while the openness of the barn had improved, the ceil- ings are still low and there is the con- stant hum of ventilation fans. In his 12 or 13 years of involve- ment in barn building, Franken says he has not seen a better barn than this (renovated) one and "there won't be." While this facility incorporated the use of existing barnS as well as the construction of new structures, Franken says other owners are build- ing all functions into one building. While the style of the stalls is sim- ilar to many barns, Franken says it is the lack of trusses which makes this most unique. "This barn was ahead of its time 10 years ago and last year ,at this time, there were no others like it. There is maybe one now." Schuttel's concept for his new barns did not come about easily as his daughter says he spent at least two years on research and site tours before construction began at home. "He always did his research first, networking and asking what works and what doesn't. He would see what supplies he could get here and find a structure that would suit his needs. He combined ideas to create the style." Stressing that she is not boasting about her family farm, Schuttel proudly says it has been used as a demonstration site for animal com- fort. "(My father) added all the little things for the benefit of the cows." Though she says her father is pleased with the 'system, there is one things he would change. "The manure pits have to be pumped out. He would now prefer a gravity flow Continued on A-9 not stop_ with the water. Schuttel explains how, the wall panels in the parlour are made from recycled dia- pers. "When they were new, you could see specks of pink and blue in them." An extension to the right accom- modates animals for display and eas- ier inspection for sale. Another unique feature of the Schuttel operation is the hoof-trim-. ming pit designed by father Peter. Coping with knee and back troubles inspired him to design a stall which allows the cow to enter the pen end the trimmer to have the hooves at eye level. This eliminates the need Open and spacious The lack of roof trusses in the Shuttel barn allows the roof joists to soar high above. Laminated wood beams support the roof. These are 5.5 inches by 22 inches.