With the arrival of two milking robots, dairy farmer André Baars from St. Jacobiparochie also tackled the stable layout. The Aqua Star Ultimate Combi waterbeds and Ster cubicles provide optimal cow comfort. '
Due to the arrival of two milking robots for the 120 dairy cows, dairy farmer André Baars from the Frisian St. Jacobi parish had to make a small renovation in his stable. He equipped part of the young cattle stable for dairy cattle. 'That made it clear to me that the stalls and stall coverings in the entire dairy barn needed to be renovated.' Without a doubt, the dairy cows chose the renovated berths.'
However, choosing the best box covering when renovating the stable is one of the most difficult. 'Sand is the very best for the cow', André also knows. 'But not an option for renovation.' The dairy farmer decided to install the Aqua Star Ultimate Combi waterbeds (a mattress with a waterbed on top) and Ster cubicles from DSD Stalingericht. 'What convinced me? The comfort for the cow, but also the fact that we received a 15-year warranty. That gives confidence.' It soon became apparent that he had also made the right choice in terms of service. 'The beds had to be re-tensioned at the front, which was arranged within a day and a half.'
From his newly built skybox above the robot, André looks very satisfied at the result. "It's a very different picture from above, but it is clear that the cows lie down and get up very easily in the box," he notes. 'The cows have space, they don't touch the ironwork of the stall partition anywhere.' Moreover, they have a grip on the waterbed.
'I no longer see the cows shooting at the front of the box.' In the computer he sees confirmation of the improved cow comfort. 'Thanks to the robot, we now receive more signals about how the cows are doing. All in all, I can only be very positive about the choice we made. Now it is important to recoup the investment.'