NZ Dairy Autumn 2021

Aztech Barn, first of its kind for Hawke’s Bay For dairy farmers looking to push the boundaries of production and pro itability, a composting barn from Aztech Buildings brings countless bene its, reducing environmental impact, spending, and stress, while increasing production, submission rates, and animal welfare. Hawke’s Bay farmer Doug Grieve approached Aztech Buildings for advice after his existing structures started to fall into disrepair and were not functioning properly. The inal straw was one of his plastic roofs blowing o in a storm. He needed a far more robust structure that would withstand whatever Hawke’s Bay weather threw at it, and keep his cows happy, but best of all give him a great return on investment. Once on site, Aztech Buildings project consultant Jason Currie quickly realised that with signi icant concrete works already done, the best solution would be an Aztech Dairy Barn Structure built over the existing concrete infrastructure, which could then be slightly modi ied and transformed into a stunning new Aztech Composting Barn. This was a signi icant cost saving and would help the farm recoup costs from their previous investment. The experienced Aztech construction team was only too ready to handle any tricky situations as they got to work building over the existing concrete infrastructure. This will now be modi ied and illed with sawdust to create the irst Composting Barn conversion for the Hawke’s Bay region. The result is a 26.0m wide x 90.0m long structure that will perfectly balance the needs of the cows, such as adequate light, ventilation, and temperature control, with ease of feeding out, maintenance, and the knowledge that it is built to last. “Cow production relates to cow comfort,” says Aztech Buildings dairy specialist Simon Clare. “Our irst composting barn, built in 2013 for Tony and Fran Allcock, has contributed signi icantly to their production growth of 63%, achieved without adding one single cow to the herd. They no longer buy in any conventional fertiliser, apart from starter fert for their maize, the pressure is o their pastures, nitrogen leaching from cow urine is reduced, and cow welfare has been completely transformed.” The key process in Aztech Building’s composting barns is the continual aerobic digestion by bugs of the cow’s faeces, which produces heat. If working e iciently, there will be virtually no e luent leaching from the bottom of the bedding. To achieve the right temperature in the bedding, it needs to be deep and cultivated every day to keep the sawdust pro ile well aerated. The low-on e ects of having a composting barn will transform this Hawkes Bay farm. They will not need to rely on winter grazing, winter pugging will be reduced or eliminated, and the ability to grow more feed on farm will result in reduced costs for purchased feed, and as a bonus the composting barn will create perfect fertiliser, on farm ready for use! Simon says Aztech Buildings o ers New Zealand’s best composting barn solution, with lexible design options, large clear spans, bird perch free roof system, and superior zinc coating for durability. “Our composting barns have di erent bene its for winter and summer, utilising roof vents, translucent sheeting, and steeper roof pitches so we can design the perfect shed to maximise lighting and ventilation, keeping the barn cooler in summer and drier in winter.”