In February 2026, Arie Kelder renovated the barn for his dry cows. The cubicles were widened to 1.25 m and fitted with Meadow Mesa mattresses. The farm, located in Valthermond, is home to 140 dairy cows.
In the milking barn, the cows lie on Meadow Vista mattresses, and Profit cubicles are also installed there. Highline feed fronts have been installed in both the milking barn and the dry cow barn. This article focuses specifically on the renovation of the dry cow barn.
Why renovate?
“Dry cows need to be well looked after: they require even more space and comfort because they are larger and heavier,” Arie explains. “That’s why we wanted thick mattresses and more space in the cubicles. Since the renovation, I can place the cows in the dry cow barn with complete peace of mind, because they simply have enough space and can lie comfortably.”
The Meadow Mesa mattresses are 8.4 cm thick, making them the thickest Meadow cow mattress. This makes them extra soft and resilient. And it shows: “Since the renovation, the cows are lying down more. Thanks to the extra space in the cubicles and the grip of the mattresses, the cows can stand up more easily and lie down more quickly,” says Arie.
“The mattresses stay very clean, also because the waved neck bars ensure that the cows lie straight in the cubicles. As a result, manure ends up on the slats and the cubicles remain clean.”
The result:
The cows lie down more easily and get up more smoothly thanks to the increased space and grip. As a result, lying time has increased since the renovation.
The mattresses remain clean, contributing to better hygiene and improved labour efficiency.
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