Guidelines for Victorian Dairy Feedpads and Freestalls

Feeding cows is the fundamental component of the dairy farming system and any feedpad or freestall developments must be suitably integrated into the farms existing physical attributes, taking into account the farms long-term objectives andmanagement decisions. These guidelines are intended to provide referral agencies, service providers and dairy farmers of Victoria with a clear and concise overview of all the elements that require consideration when undertaking the initial development and longer term management of these more intensive facilities. These guidelines are intended to provide referral agencies, service providers and dairy farmers of Victoria with a clear and concise overview of all the elements that require consideration when undertaking the initial development and longer term management of these more intensive facilities. The information in these guidelines is a collation of current planning and technical information compiled to: · assist the dairy industry and advisers to make informed decisions with respect to dairy feedpad and freestall operations · raise awareness of industry, government and community expectations to minimise any adverse impact on the environment · establish a key reference source enabling new proposals to progress smoothly through the various planning stages · demonstrate that the dairy industry has an ongoing commitment to support farmers undertake farming system changes.