Dairy and Cattle Farming: Clean and Disinfect Barn

With professional cleaning equipment, suitable cleaning agents and the right approach, clean results can be achieved in stable hygiene in cattle farming and dairy farms - without the time and labor costs getting out of hand.

Protecting the health and well-being of the animals and increasing profitability: These are the goals of barn cleaning in dairy and cattle farming. In addition to hygiene in the milking parlor and in the calf igloos, efficient cleaning of the stables, i.e. the areas in which the animals spend most of their lives, is also important: pens and outdoor stables for growing and adult animals.

Why is Stall Cleaning Important in Dairy and cattle farming?

Efficient cleaning of the barn reduces the germ pressure and thus reduces the risk of diseases. This is crucial for the welfare of the animals, but also for the profitability of the farms. Because healthy animals perform better. They also need less veterinary care and less medication.

When is it Time for Barn Cleaning?

Some work steps of cleaning the barn have to be done several times a day, others only as needed or when the opportunity arises.

Stable equipment and cleaning products

Even today, brooms and shovels are still used to clean stalls in cattle and dairy farming. If a sweeper and a high-pressure cleaner are also available, the farmer is equipped for all cleaning tasks.

Basic Cleaning as Needed and Opportunity

For each thorough cleaning of the stall compartments (pens), the animals - especially in cattle farming - must have left the respective area, otherwise the work would be too dangerous for the staff. This also applies to outside compartments.

The basic cleaning of the stables in cattle and dairy cattle farming - apart from rearing eaters - is usually not carried out according to the in-out principle, but pen by pen, while there are still animals in the other compartments.

Therefore, caution and consideration is the top priority. In order not to bring too much unrest into the barn, the high-pressure cleaner should not be placed directly in the barn. It is better to work with a long high-pressure hose. This minimizes the volume in the barn.

A high-pressure hose on an automatic hose reel with automatic return is recommended. This reduces the risk of tripping. A surface cleaner is recommended for cleaning larger floor areas. This means that there is no splashing water - which means less disturbance for the animals.

Order of Work for the Basic Cleaning of the Stables

1. Sweep Walls and Barriers

   Dust creates breeding grounds for germs and fungi and can not only lead to diseases in the animals in the barn, but also to respiratory diseases in humans. First of all, cobwebs and dust are swept off the walls and ceilings, as well as the windows and window reveals in warm stables.

2.  Rough Cleaning of the Bays

   When the pen is empty, the coarse dirt - everything that has not been kicked through the cracks in the floor - is first removed with a broom and shovel.
   Mucking out in litter stalls. This can be done most efficiently with a yard tractor.

3. Moisten Stable

   Now the dirt is thoroughly moistened, including the walls if necessary. A high-pressure cleaner is suitable for this. A soaking agent can be added to the water, which loosens dried manure and thus reduces cleaning time and water consumption.
   The dirt should soak up the soaking water as completely as possible. It is therefore advisable not to apply the water with too much pressure and also not too much at once, as large drops run off the dirt. If necessary, the process should be repeated until the dirt is soaked through.

4. Cleaning with the High-Pressure Cleaner

   This is followed by thorough cleaning of the partitions, the walls and the floor with the high-pressure cleaner. Alkaline cleaning agents can be applied with a knapsack sprayer or a cup foam lance. The cup foam lance has the advantage that it can be easily connected to the lance of the high-pressure cleaner. In addition, it gives off a particularly thick, well-adhering foam with a high cleaning effect. The foam is then rinsed off again.
   The water drains through the crevices. For barns without slatted floors, we recommend a surface cleaner with automatic suction, which collects the dirty water and drains it off in a controlled manner. It is connected to the high-pressure cleaner.
   To clean sensitive components, it makes sense to reduce the pressure of the high-pressure cleaner. This is most convenient if the gun has a pressure setting. Very sensitive parts are cleaned with a damp cloth.
   The cleaning can be considered completed when the surface structure of the floor, walls and barriers can be recognized again and the waste water is clear.

5. Disinfect if Necessary

   At least the pens for the young calves, which come fresh from their calf igloo in the group housing, should also be disinfected after cleaning with the high-pressure cleaner. For this, the compartment must first be completely dry.

    

    

    

    

Special Cleaning Requirements: Calving and Sick Pens as well as Calf Igloos and Milking Parlours

Some barn areas in cattle and dairy farming require a lot of attention and thoroughness when cleaning in order to protect the health of people and animals in the best possible way.

These include calving and sick pens. These should be as germ-free as possible before a calving cow or sick animal enters. The sensitive calves have particularly high demands on biosecurity. Therefore, the calving pens should be cleaned with a hot water high-pressure cleaner after the rough cleaning with the broom. Under certain circumstances, the use of disinfectants in animal husbandry is also recommended.

The milking area occupies a special position when it comes to cleaning stalls in cattle and dairy cattle farming. This is because the safety of human food is affected in this area.

Don't Forget to Clean the Area Around the Barn

The wider environment of the barn also has an influence on biosecurity. That is why the area around the barn, the walkways, the yard area and especially the area in front of silos and feed stores should be swept regularly so that rodents and other disease carriers find as little feed as possible there.

The feed wagon should be completely emptied after each feeding to prevent mold and flies from settling in. In addition, the feed wagon should be cleaned with a high-pressure cleaner every few weeks.

Water barrels and feed racks on the pasture must also be kept clean. A battery-powered high-pressure cleaner is suitable for this.

If devices and machines are used in several stables, these should also be cleaned to prevent the spread of germs. Simple tools such as brooms and shovels should ideally only be used in one stable. Silos and machines that are used on the farm must also be cleaned regularly. The cleaning of the stalls in dairy cattle and cattle farming is rounded off by cleaning the outside areas and equipment.