When constructing new cattle barns or renovating older facilities for different categories of cattle, standards and norms must be taken into account to ensure an appropriate environment for the animals, maximum safety for the breeder, and minimum negative impact on the environment. Based on a review of professional literature, an insight into various housing systems was obtained and presented in this thesis. Particular focus was placed on the advantages and disadvantages of individual cattle housing systems. Different milking systems and other necessary functional areas that a modern dairy barn must include-such as a maternity pen, sick pen/separation box (preferably located near the milking parlor), and a area for dry cows-were described. Factors influencing the microclimate in the barn and ways to reduce heat stress in animals were also presented. In the second part of the thesis, the farm of Simon Čretnik, which engages in commercial milk production, was presented. A few years ago, a new dairy barn was constructed on this farm, which is considered one of the most modern and innovative barns in Europe. The barn lacks traditional cubicles, instead it featured a large lying area with perneable flooring that enables immediate urine drainage. Solid manure is collected by a robot and transported to the manure storage. Milking is carried out using a milking robot. Their herd currently have 94 head of cattle, of which 55 are dairy cows. The average daily milk of their cows is 35,0kg of milk. Since the cows were relocated to this new barn, they have experienced fewer health issues and injuries. According to the breeder, the animals feel significantly better, which is reflected in substantially higher milk and improved fertility.
|