From the comfort of your desk, take a tour of barns that have been built with cow comfort in mind!
No one barn is “perfect.” Behind each design is a dairy farmer with specific needs, desires and opinions, with limited resources but a determination to do the best for their cattle and operation. Specifications included within the virtual tours are not entirely in line with the Wisconsin Blueprint guidelines. Be sure to carefully examine the Adult Cow and Youngstock Housing pages before planning your facility design.
Virtual Tours
Transition Cow Barns
These barns highlight ways to design and layout the prefresh and maternity pens with differences on how cows are managed around the point of calving.
Conventional Adult Cow Freestall Barns
From brand new barns to remodeled freestalls, these facilities highlight the importance of giving cows a comfortable space to rest free from obstructions.
Automated Milking Systems
This farm built a new barn to accommodate an automated milking system with the possibility to expand herd size in the future.
Holding Area Tube Ventilation and Heat Abatement
See an example of how positive pressure tube ventilation system can be used for heat abatement purposes when combined with soaker systems in the milking center holding area.
Nursing Calf Barns
The nursing calf barns include various designs for housing and feeding, such as "all-in, all-out" systems, automated feeders, and natural ventilation with positive pressure tube systems.
Replacement Housing Facilities
Four replacement housing barns for dairy heifers at different growth stages. Barns A & C house post-weaning calves under 6 months, B houses 10-month-old heifers, and D houses breeding-age heifers.
