Sergio Giberti on his farm has been producing milk for Parmigiano Reggiano for about 50 years. Its dairy cows are housed in buildings that originally provided fixed housing, but over time have been converted to loose housing.
Among the company’s priorities are those concerning animal welfare and care: it is clear from Giberti’s words that welfare leads to better management of the barn and multiple benefits, both for the barn’s economy and the environmental impact of the business.
One of the interventions that touches on both of these topics was the installation, in the 2019, of a water- and energy-efficient cooling system such as Breezair, which was then followed by an additional investment to Also cool the milking parlor, waiting area, and barn for dry runs and rehousing.
The results measured during these last 4 summers are as follows:
- constant milk production even during the summer period, with qualitatively unaltered properties compared to winter milk: reduced fluctuations and drop in production due to heat stress virtually eliminated.
- During warmer periods there are no major declines in feed ingestion with noticeable effects on the performance of all animals, growth in replacement, fertility, productivity and herd health.
- Ability to fertilize even in the summer period: dairy cows, under less stress, continue to ovulate, and inseminations lead to positive results in many cases. Many breeders without an effective cooling system testify to us that they have decided to stop proceeding with inseminations during the summer because they are always useless and inconclusive.
- A few years after the installation of Breezair one can also begin to see positive effects on the health of the animals in production, as they do not suffer severe losses due to heat stress they remain healthier and longer-lived, thus saving the farmer money on the cost of rehousing.
- The fact that the animals are well and there are far fewer problems in the barn, especially in the summer, allows the farmer to have the time to also calmly manage haymaking, which is essential for those working in the Parmigiano Reggiano area.
- Well-being not only for the cows, but also for the operators working in the barn: the rooms are uniformly cooled, benefiting everyone housed there.
The Ecofarm Breezair System allows for lowering the indoor temperature, facilitating constant air exchange, and significant savings in water consumption compared to heavy-drip systems: the amount of water used is about 1-fifth, resulting in reduced slurry production and less impact on animal disease because the housing environment remains dry.
Below is a brief interview with Sergio Giberti, who will explain what his experience with Ecofarm Breezair has been like.
Please feel free to contact us for more information!