The diary AOL

 

Steimbke, Lower Saxony, Germany

Owners: Christian Andermann and Christian Oelerking

The farm was founded 15 years ago. Today, the dairy herd numbers 400 cows. The average milk yield per cow per year is 11.5 thousand kg. They have 300 hectares of land.

They use free stall housing. For better comfort, the barns are equipped with fans and side curtains, the floor in the stalls is made of rubber mats. On the top of the mats, litter from renewed manure is put.

The diet of dairy cows consists of corn silage (2/3) and haylage (1/3), soy and rapeseed meal (4,5 kg) and mineral additives.

The biogas plant is installed on the farm. Its original purpose is the utilization of waste from agricultural production. At the plant, liquid manure from livestock and shrubbery from crop production is processed.

Entrepreneurs who have biogas plants do not receive subsidies, but they are protected by a long-term contract for 15−20 years with an energy company purchasing green energy.