For one year, every evening and every spare hour, Willem Verduijn and his family built the new barn. A considerable self-build achievemen. The hard work has been rewarded with a satisfied herd of cows. "The cows have been in their new barn for less than two weeks and, after a small relocation dip, milk production is already on the rise. The transition actually did not cause any problems at all; from moment one there was peace in the new barn."
Maatschap Verduijn has been a family business for several generations. The old barn was still built by the previous generation. Willem Verduijn built this new barn - an extension to the old barn - for the next generation, his children. "Not all of our children are interested in farming, and of course that's fine. Fortunately, we do have succession." Precisely all the children's different career choices were helpful in building the barn. "Everyone was able to contribute in his or her own way."
The new barn (0-6-0) was built attached to the old barn and the connecting wall was removed. This old barn is being converted to the proper size for the young stock. Three Fullwood Merlin robots have been installed in the new barn, and space has been made behind the robots for a straw bedding area and the drystock group. Highline feed fronts were also installed here. The rest of the barn is equipped with a feeding tube.
The deep litter system in the old barn was well liked and was chosen again in the new barn. For this, the Spinder Delta DS cubicle was installed, complete with knee retainer and waved neckbar for optimal adjustment and control of the cow in the cubicle. "The beds will gradually continue to be filled over the coming weeks," explains Willem Verduijn. "In this way, the cows will soon lie in the new barn as comfortably, or surely even more comfortably, than in the old barn."
The Verduijn dairy is particularly satisfied with the choices they have made. In the new barn, everything works just a little easier and lighter. The robots control milking, with the Highline feed fronts they can easily secure single or multiple cows, and the cow traffic is well thought out. For Verduijn, the Pingo drinking troughs are also part of " working easier. "The water trough is ideally designed for good cleaning. You pull the plug out easily and the large drain empties the water trough in no time." All in all, a happy dairy farmer with a happy herd of cows.
The following Spinder products were applied in the barn:
