Freestall Barn
The Dairy Center's 250 head milking herd is housed in the farm's freestall barn. The roomy stalls are bedded with sawdust and are cleaned every milking to provide our cows with a comfortable resting area.
A spacious bunk offers the cows free-choice of fresh feed. Fans and sprinklers cool the animals in the heat of the summer, while curtains on the sides of the barn protect them from the harsh elements of the Midwestern winter.
The cows are milked three times a day at 4:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. An average cow gives 80 pounds of milk everyday, approximately 10 gallons. Each cow averages 25,000 pounds of milk in a year which is slightly less than 3,000 gallons per year.
The herd is a colorful collection of dairy breeds including Holsteins, Jerseys, Brown Swiss, Ayrshires and Crossbreds.
