6 – 20 cows
A small commercial dairy supplying local processors or direct retail. Worth investing in a simple milking parlor, basic cooling, and a structured feed ration. Typical land: 1 – 1.5 ha per cow with rotational paddocks.
Climate adjustments
Switch climate to see how the design changes.
Subtropical. Hot summers, mild winters (mean 18–25 °C). Seasonal heat-abatement and convertible side walls.
Sample farm layout
Schematic top-down view. Final designs are tailored to your land and climate.
What changes in subtropical climate
Housing
Insulated roof, curtain side walls that open in summer and close in winter.
Ventilation
Cross-vent up to ~400 cows; tunnel above. Soakers + fans active 4–6 months/year.
Bedding
Sand or deep-mattress cubicles work; manage dust in dry season.
Water
Standard automatic waterers with sun shielding.
Waste handling
Lagoon sized for 6–9 months; solid separator for bedding reuse.
Also consider
- •Hot-weather body-condition scoring during peak summer
- •Insulated water lines to avoid summer warming + winter freeze
Housing systems
- •Free-stall or loose-housing barn (8 – 9 m² per cow)
- •Open sides with curtain side walls
- •Concrete alley with rubber mats over cubicles
- •Separate sick / fresh-cow pen
Feeding arrangements
- •Drive-by feed alley with locking head-rails
- •Simple TMR delivered by tractor-pulled mixer wagon
- •Mineral block + concentrate top-dress at milking
Water systems
- •2 – 3 automatic waterers (40 L tipping type) per pen
- •Insulated lines in cold climates
Waste management
- •Daily alley scraping into a 3 – 6 month slurry pit
- •Solid-liquid separator (optional)
- •Land-application schedule by season
Farm management
- •Tandem 2 × 2 or herringbone 2 × 4 parlor
- •Bulk tank (300 – 800 L) with pre-cooling plate
- •1 – 2 operators per shift, two shifts/day
- •Monthly vet + nutritionist visits
Want this tailored to your land?
Try our AI preliminary design — instant — or request a full consultation.