Mid-size commercial

21 – 100 cows

A professional dairy with structured employee shifts, formal records, and a production-focused barn layout. This is the sweet spot for ROI on milking automation. Plan a 5-year expansion buffer when sizing infrastructure.

Family-run commercial
Processor contract suppliers
Regional brands

Climate adjustments

Switch climate to see how the design changes.

Arid / desert. Very low humidity, large diurnal swings (mean variable). Dust + water-scarcity engineering.

Sample farm layout

Schematic top-down view. Final designs are tailored to your land and climate.

Free-stall barn (4-row)≈ 100 cubiclesParlor 2×8 herringboneBulk tank + CIPOffice / pharmacyCovered slurry lagoonSilage bunkerCommodity shedFresh / sick penCalf pensPaddock≈ 120 mN

What changes in arid / desert climate

Housing

Open shade structures; high roofs for radiative ventilation; insulated roof decks.

Ventilation

Evaporative cooling is dramatically effective at low humidity — use it generously.

Bedding

Sand (locally abundant) or rubber + minimal bedding; dust suppression on alleys.

Water

Engineered reservoir + treatment plant; consider closed-loop parlor water reuse.

Waste handling

Dry-stack composting (low water content); methane capture from anaerobic digesters.

Also consider

  • Water-budget plan filed with regulator
  • Dust control with surfactant-treated alleys
  • Solar PV on barn roofs to offset cooling load

Housing systems

  • Free-stall barn, 2 or 4-row layout (9 m² per cow)
  • Cross-ventilation with ridge vent or tunnel fans
  • Sand or mattress cubicles
  • Designated fresh, dry, and hospital pens

Feeding arrangements

  • Center feed alley TMR delivered twice daily
  • Headlock feed barrier 75 cm per cow
  • On-farm feed storage: silage bunkers + commodity shed

Water systems

  • 1 waterer per 15 cows
  • Recirculating supply with float valves
  • Plate-cooler heat recovery for warm wash water

Waste management

  • Automatic alley scrapers
  • 6+ month covered slurry lagoon
  • Nutrient management plan filed with regulator
  • Optional sand separator if using sand bedding

Farm management

  • Herringbone 2 × 8 or parallel 2 × 10 parlor
  • Bulk tank with full-time cooling + agitation
  • ID + activity collars feeding into the platform
  • Quarterly nutrient + financial reviews

Want this tailored to your land?

Try our AI preliminary design — instant — or request a full consultation.

Ready-to-build PDF plan for 21 – 100 cows dairies — coming soon

A complete plan set (housing, milking, feed, water, manure) for this exact herd size. Drop your email and we'll notify you when this plan is available.

21 – 100 cows dairy farm design — Mid-size commercial | Vache | Vache