Compost barn for dairy cows in the Parmigiano- Reggiano district: an innovative and sustainable housing system and an alternative to cubicles

Unlike its broad diffusion and its undoubtedly advantages over the tied up barns, the cubicle housing systems are under discussion, because of feet trauma and, especially when the equipment layout is not optimal, low cubicle occupation and therefore reduction of cows resting time.
This problem has prompted designers, researchers and farmers to study alternative solutions to increase animal welfare while guaranteeing the environmental and economic sustainability.
The litter barn with aerobic fermentation, better known as the compost barn, can be considered an interesting solution.
This project will provide possible typologies of compost barns, already adopted in other countries, which are compatible with the climate of the Po Valley and with the predominant housing systems in the Parmigiano-Reggiano district. The project will assess the benefits for the dairy farms in terms of defense of their income, due to the relatively low investment costs of compost barn and the reduction of operating costs because of better animal welfareand health. Moreover, the compost barn improves the quality of labour of the dairy farmers and the employees, because they work in a more healthy environment.