The Artex ConnectionThe Artex ConnectionFall 2016Fall 2016

www.artexbarn.com

In ThIs Issue:BuIldIng a Barn From The InsIde ouT: The Key To good VenTIlaTIon

3 TIps For ImproVIng VenTIlaTIon

CedarValley: a Case sTudy on enhanCIng naTural VenTIlaTIon wITh arTex Fans

arTex around The world:an arTex InsTall In ausTrIa

upComIng eVenTs

Our goal, when people think of Artex Barn Solutions, is to have them remember our message ‘Bring the Pasture Inside’. More than just a mantra, this Cow Comfort Zone™ philosophy is the foundation on which our company was built.

Focused on a holistic approach, the Comfort Zone™ provides solutions for five main factors that directly contribute to your cow’s health and wellbeing: stall size, lunging room, overcrowding, air quality and heat abatement.

Ventilation in dairy barns helps to maintain a comfortable environment that keeps cows healthy and productive. Cows continuously produce heat and moisture, meaning ventilation is necessary to constantly and consistently exchange warm, humid air inside the barn for the cooler, drier air from outside.

This exchange needs to happen regardless of the outside temperature or weather conditions. Without this good air exchange to remove odors and manure gases as well as heat and humidity, you are increasing the risks of respiratory diseases and heat stress both of which have negative effects on animal health and performance

Creating a Comfort Zone™ and ensuring proper ventilation helps to decrease the risk of reduced feed intake and milk production; slug feeding which increases incidences of acidosis; reduced conception rates; compromised growth rates of unborn calves; increased lameness, mastitis, and other respiratory disease problems.

BrIng The pasTure InsIde

BuIldIng a Barn From The InsIde - ouT:The Key To good VenTIlaTIon Planning and design is one of the most

important stages in building a new barn. Unfortunately, more often than not when the cost of the building structure and/or internal dimensions are deemed too expensive, owners will make cut backs to the barn in an effort to ‘save money’. In most cases this results in costing them more in the

long run.

It’s easy to forget that barn construction is an investment, and a good investment produces a good return. The environment we place our animals in does in fact have an impact on their performance and longevity. If they are to have longer and more productive lives, it’s crucial to invest in cow comfort.

A poorly ventilated barn does more than just affect animal performance. Ventilation is also essential to a barns structural integrity. Materials in poorly ventilated barns are more likely to deteriorate faster, as poor air exchange means corrosive gases and water vapor stay in the barn causing the barn and barn equipment to rust, corrode or rot.

Dead-spots caused by obstructions like concrete stem walls, hospital rooms, or support pillars are not always easy to foresee. In many situations, we will find good air quality in the areas where managers and workers operate, but when you cross over to the cow stalls or holding areas the air quality drops significantly.

If it’s not possible or economical to work with an experienced dairy designer then it becomes critical to involve ventilation specialists, like Artex, early in the design process. Our team will work with customers and dealers to find the right solutions to fit every farm’s unique needs.

Contact us today to learn more

Did You Know?Many people believe that improving

ventilation can cost too much money. While there is an initial investment, studies

like one done by the University of Wisconsin have reported that it actually results in

increased savings. In some states the savings have been documented as high as 60% whether it’s been through production increases or reduced input costs like antibiotics, feed supplements, and

vet bills.

Not Ready to Build New? Ventilation is one of the easiest things to improve in an existing barn. Here are 3 quick tips to take your barn to the next level:1. Save power with automation and variable drive fans:

Look at upgrading to automatic controls and more efficient fans like the Artex Storm fan which allow you to better direct and control airflow. Variable speed fans can be run with much lower energy consumption in moderate temperatures and still ensure good ventilation.

2. Larger fans dramatically improve airflow with small power increases:

Adding large panel fans 50” or larger can make a big difference in barns without fans or with older basket fans.

3. Increase airspeed to improve air quality in special needs areas:

Heat stress is a known cause of lower birth weights, lower production post pregnancy, and impaired immune systems. Some barns aren’t set up to ventilate in hospital, maternity or dry cow areas. Increasing airspeed and improving air quality in these under ventilated areas can improve your herd’s health.

www.artexbarn.com

The Artex ConnectionThe Artex ConnectionFall 2016Fall 2016

a sTorm Breeze In CedarValley: a Case sTudy on enhanCIng naTural VenTIlaTIon

wITh an arTex Fan ComBInaTIon

Nestled in the heart of the Fraser Valley, CedarValley Farms is an organic certified dairy farm milking 400 cows. An hour East of Vancouver, BC, CedarValley is surrounded by the beautiful Coast Mountains and the Fraser and Sumas Rivers. Their geography means that 80% of the wind comes from the South West. When it came time for owners Dave and Rich Vanderwal to replace their barn, natural ventilation was an easy choice.

They sat down with our ventilation design team to customize ventilation for their state-of-the-art 500 milking cow barn. The goal was to use Artex Storm fans to enhance natural wind patterns to create the optimal environment for their cows . There were a few challenges facing them in this project, such as wind breaks caused by neighboring farm buildings, as well as parlor and holding areas that were protected by the barns from any natural winds on site.

The solution was to outfit the free stall barns with 72” Storm fans and 55” Breeze fans to ensure good airflow over each cow stall. The Storm fans have been positioned to cover the feed alley while the Breeze fans are used along the outer walls where ceilings were lower. All fans are controlled automatically to allow CedarValley to adjust the airspeed when temperature conditions change.

CedarValley’s milking parlor and holding areas are located between two barns where natural airflow is limited. To ensure adequate cooling while the cows were being milked we installed 55” Storm Fans over the parlor and targeted the louvers to direct air over the cows. In the holding area, where the need for heat abatement increases as body heat increases when cows are grouped together before milking, we installed 72” Storm fans for increased airspeed and coverage.

This combination worked well, and provided the customer with a break in cost. The variable speed operation of the Storm fans will save CedarValley money on power and give them more control over temperature changes throughout the year. The Breeze fans were used in the lower clearance areas and are an inexpensive way to compliment the Storm fans over the outside rows.

“It was a privilege working with CedarValley from concept to completion. Being involved in the project early makes

ventilation design go much smoother.”

Artex Ventilation Design Team

EuroTier 2016 Nov 15 - 18 Hanover, Germany

Pacific Ag Show Jan 26 - 28 BC, Canada

World Ag Expo Feb 14 - 16 California, USA

VIV ASIA Mar 15 - 17 Bangkok, Thailand

where In The world Is arTex?InsTall In mühlVIerTel, ausTrIa In beautiful Mühlviertel, Herbert and Sarah

Fichtinger from Dimbach, Austria built a new barn for 25 Fleckvieh cows and their young-stock. The Fichtinger’s were committed to the cow comfort philosophy and designed their barn around the Comfort ZoneTM system. With the help of Hochgatterer Stalleinrichtungen and Cowhouse in Pabneukirchen, Austria,

they installed Artex adjustable gates, J2K free stall system, and SLG headlocks.

The Fichtinger’s are happy with their barn equipment, and the cows are comfortable in their new home. Artex Barn Solution and Cowhouse in Austria wish the Fitchinger’s all the best in the future.

www.artexbarn.com