The most important factors that determine the selection of the type of housing for dairy cattle are cost, animal comfort, worker’s efficiency, durability, and a favorable return on investment. Since the first low profile cross‐ventilated (LPCV) barn started to operate in South Dakota in the fall of 2005, at least six more facilities have been built in that state using this technology, and dozens of them have been built in the rest of the country.
Although LPCV barns (enclosed, year‐round controlled environment) are a new concept in the dairy industry, housing systems similar to LPCV barns have been used for a long time in the swine and poultry industries. In the United States, the number of dairy farms with more than 500 cows has increased in the last decade by more than 21%, from 2,795 dairies in 2001 to 3,400 in 2010. This new facility design would be suitable for these larger dairy operations.
What’s different in cross‐ventilated barns for dairy cows?
One peculiarity of this design is that it merges conventional barns (4 or 6 rows of freestalls) under the same roof, eliminating the space required to separate each barn. For example, when two traditional barns of 4 rows are merged, a new LPCV housing with 8 rows is developed.
The interior of the building is similar to the conventional barns. The main difference is the presence of baffles that hang approximately half‐way from the ceiling and are attached to the barn columns. The function of these baffles is to increase the air velocity and redirect air toward the freestalls.
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