At their farm in Lancashire, the Bowker family manage a herd of 120 Holsteins. But their infrastructure was becoming very outdated. Chris Bowker came to Wolfenden to help modernise operations – introducing new slurry storage and investing in modern flooring to ensure the cows are happy and healthy, improving productivity across the herd and the farm. Jade Moody explains how the project developed – from initial rough drawings and measurements into a newly-modernised dairy operation, through Wolfenden’s CAD expertise and comprehensive range of products designed specifically for dairy herd welfare.

The farm has a herringbone parlour for milking cows, and two barns – one for calves and one for the dairy cows. These barns had become very tired, needing a complete upgrade. With limited existing slurry storage, this was a priority for the Bowkers, who were keen to add the additional storage that would help futureproof the dairy unit, making valuable slurry available for use on the farm and helping reduce emissions to meet net zero targets. Wolfenden were briefed to improve and increase slurry storage capacity, while creating better bed space – more comfortable and more modern housing for the Bowkers’ herd.

Where the main barn had an existing slurry tank, Wolfenden increased capacity by adding a new tank under the new flooring. This more than meets the current demands of the herd, but it is always a good idea to consider increasing capacity at the early stages of a project. In an uncertain time for British farming, if increasing herd size can make a farm more viable, then building capacity to allow for this avoids the extra costs of revisiting the project at a later date – with all the additional costs and the disruption this inevitably brings.

Above the slurry tank, Wolfenden specified three different flooring areas, with three different slat types, each designed to best-suit the animals’ needs and optimise hoof health and comfort. For the calf section, Wolfenden installed calf slats. For the second area, housing the 12 – 24 month old herd, Wolfenden installed young stock slats. These incorporate all the benefits of Wolfenden’s main range of slatted floors, but they have 30% smaller gaps, at 28mm, and are purpose-designed for smaller hooves, making them ideal for 3-month to 2-year old stock. For the main herd area, Wolfenden specified parallel cattle slats. Here, the 40mm gaps ensure that slurry is easily and rapidly discharged into the slurry storage below. The dry cast concrete provides a non-slip finish for better cow confidence, along with the durability needed in a high-traffic area. These slats are designed to provide optimum strength and longevity.

The project wasn’t without its challenges, though. The logistics of ensuring that all the different types of slats would work seamlessly together – to ensure that each cow’s needs would be met, with optimal flooring for each hoof size and animal behaviour – were complex. Until the area of the main barn was dug out, Wolfenden couldn’t be sure of exact measurements and, Jade says, it was akin to playing a 3-D chess game. But, alongside major investment in R&D for hybrid flooring solutions, Wolfenden have also invested in state-of-the-art CAD modelling to ensure that

farmers will always get the best possible solution for their specific site, to meet their particular project goals. Working through several iterations of designs – and to tight timescales – Jade was able to make all the different flooring specifications and lengths work together, for a real-world, site-specific, bespoke slurry and flooring solution.

Since the herd has been back in the newly-refurbished barn, their confidence has grown. They are walking happily on the new flooring, and Wolfenden’s new slurry tank combined with the slatted floors is helping to avoid emissions and the hoof health issues that can arise when slurry is not effectively and efficiently removed.