Dairy farm in County Fermanagh

The business

A large dairy farm in County Fermanagh in Northern Ireland, which sees 200 cows milked year-round. 

The challenge

Aidan and his father were in the process of improving their dairy farm infrastructure, which included upgrading their calf-rearing facilities. 

They wanted one shed to house all of their calves, and chose the mono-pitch design invented by Jamie Robertson, which revolves around optimising animal welfare and performance. 

In order to optimise these key areas, ventilation and weather protection would need to be prioritised. Aidan got in touch with one of Galebreaker’s distributors, Teemoore Engineering, to see if they could help.

The solution

The shed had several key features, which contributed to its superior ventilation, weather protection and light transmission. 

Each of the four doors were kitted out with a Galebreaker Rollerscreen, which is a spring-operated windbreak designed to fit above gates, lower walls and feed barriers. Easily adjustable, they also allow for fast access to the shed when needed.

To eliminate the risk of heat stress and to distribute clean air throughout the shed, Aidan also had a Galebreaker VentTube Fresh installed. With an innovative design that maintains optimal temperatures for cow comfort and productivity, this tube ventilation system will instantly improve airflow and reduce instances of disease, without blowing cold air on the calves.

The VentTube Fresh will be particularly useful on days where there is no wind and the shed gets stuffy. Maintaining consistent airflow, it will keep the calves comfortable in all weather, and will only cost Aidan £1 per day to run. 

The result

The shed is now fully operational. Aidan said: 

“We only got into the new shed just after Christmas but so far, I have been happy with it. There’s a pen of calves on the point of weaning that have been housed there since they were born and they have thrived. So far, thankfully, we have had no health issues with any of the calves.”

For more information on our weather protection and ventilation solutions, get in touch with the Galebreaker Sales Team.