When the time comes to estimate the replacement cost of a dairy facility, a wide range of factors can make a definitive number difficult. Hard-working people in the dairy sector use a variety of facilities to milk cows. Many of these structures already struggle from age, weather, and inefficient designs. For those and other reasons, professionals across industries need a reliable resource that can provide mutually agreeable estimates. If you need to estimate the replacement cost of a dairy facility, the Douglas Agricultural Cost Guide (https://www.douglascostguide.com/agriculture/ ) takes factors into account other systems may not.
Determining the Replacement Cost of a Dairy Facility
Dairy buildings can run the gamut from individual ties stalls to free stalls, and the recently popular compost bedded packs which can change the dynamics of the modern-day dairy barn considerably. But all of these require standardized measurements to establish square footage. Before the niche aspects of a facility are factored into the digital version of the Douglas Agricultural Cost Guide, length, width, height, and roof type must be determined.
It’s a given that these initial calculations could be associated with many estimate systems. But after simple square-footage is added up, the seemingly minor differences between structures can change costs significantly.
Factors Effecting Replacement Cost of Dairy Farming Structures
These are three practical dairy farming issues that will have a bearing on replacement cost.
1. Resting Area:
Old barns often did not provide ample resting space for herds. Today’s humane-conscious structures usually call for more space. When replacing an outdated dairy facility, it sometimes makes sense to expand. Newer structures also tend to allow more natural light into the building.
2. Feed & Water:
Yesteryear barns often struggle with tall machinery such as TMR mixer wagons. Higher doors and openings are critical when using cost-effective modern equipment.
3. Ventilation:
Dairy farmers generally want to employ the latest science with regards to herd health. This means rebuilding with improved ventilation. Compost bedded barns may require different airflow systems.
The thinking behind the way farmers want to estimate the replacement cost of a dairy facility may not bear a striking resemblance to one built just a few decades ago.
The Douglas Agricultural Cost Guide Accounts for Modern Dairy Facility Factors
When a dairy facility needs to be replaced, rarely does an owner want a replica. Agricultural science provides cutting-edge information about how to manage healthier and more productive herds. That data must be integrated into physical structures. Dairy sector professionals can count on the Douglas Agricultural Cost Guide because it brings three decades of experience to every estimate and is routinely updated with the latest data.
