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Faunsdale, AL | I believe you can always fit any number of cows in any facility. They may not fit at first, but just wait, they soon will!
Some kinds of facilities can be overstocked with better results than others. I can see a difference in our old lots with freestall barn separate from the feed bunk (there's some open lot in between) compared to our 4 row barns with feeding alley in the center. There's just not as much room for cows in the new barn and I do not like to overstock it. It also takes more time spent pushing up feed in that setup compared to a bunk they can eat from both sides of. If you overcrowd it, then you can compensate by pushing up feed more often, but you have to get it done! If you bunks are overflowing as it is, and you add more cows and cannot feed more often, then your feed waste will skyrocket.
Probably the most important thing is going to be cash flow, debt service and profitability. I would take a long look at the forage supply and purchased feed cost as near as you can project it and compare to the return of selling the cows. Also look at culling problems and replacing with heifers, selling bred/springing heifers, selling milking cows etc. | |
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Should I add stalls or sell cows?
