A farm built for generations
Regionality and the use of home-grown agricultural resources were top priorities for the Baumann-Wetzlmaier family when constructing their new barn. Now, the path is paved for future generations on the farm.
| Number of animals | 55 cows and breeding stock |
| Breed | German Simmental |
| Farmed area | 45 ha |
| Barn occupied since | 2023 |
| Country | Austria |
Building with the Future in Mind
Three generations now live at the "Holzbauerhof" farm of the Baumann-Wetzlmaier family in Tarsdorf, Austria. The couple Karin and Martin Baumann-Wetzlmaier run the farm together with Karin's parents. The family faced an important decision:
"You either stop or continue to run the farm. As we have three children, we decided to build in the open field. This gives our children every opportunity to expand the barn in the future."
When planning the new barn, the family placed particular emphasis on sustainability and regionality. For two winters, they harvested timber from their own forest. They wanted to use their own agricultural raw materials and work with regional companies. Another special feature of the barn is visible from the outside: the 830m2 green flat roof above the lying area. The green roof is also intended to have a positive effect on the climate.
"We’ve always wanted to build using wood—our own natural resource—and keep things open.
Open to the animals and open to the consumers."
Trust in proven systems
The new barn offers 70 free stalls, which corresponds to the size of a milking robot. The family relies on proven systems from their previous barn and has adopted several into the new barn: There are deep bedded stalls as well as combined elevated deep bedded stalls, an elevated feeding stall, paved walkways with a concreted 3% slope towards the center guide, scraper, and a slurry channel.
KRAIBURG has accompanied the Baumann-Wetzlmaier family for a long time
"We already had KRAIBURG mats in the old barn for 20 years and had made good experiences with them."
It was immediately clear that the farmers would continue to rely on the proven KRAIBURG quality and install the rubber mats in the new barn as well.
The elevated feed stalls are equipped with LENTA mats, which ensure a comfortable standing position. Thanks to the higher step up to the feeding table, the animals are not disturbed by the scraper and the claws stay dry. For the walkways, the family chose profiKURA P. The integrated abrasive in the surface provides extra grip and also cares for the claws. Thanks to the slope towards the center guide, urine can immediately drain into the slurry channel, while manure is removed by the scraper – keeping the walkways drier.
In the old barn, the farmers already had positive experiences with the deep bedded stall cushion POLSTA, which is why the deep bedded stalls in the new barn are again equipped with it. Especially during very busy periods, when the deep bedded stalls cannot be optimally maintained every day, POLSTA ensures a permanently stable and comfortable cushion in the head area of the stall.
"POLSTA is the perfect solution for a good mattress in the front area of the deep bedded stall. This saves us a lot of working time in daily stall maintenance."
In the dry cow area, the Baumann-Wetzlmaier family chose the maxiBOX. The elevated deep bedded stall system, with its special surface profiling, keeps the bedding particularly well and thus minimizes maintenance.
A successful new construction
After moving in, Karin and Martin Baumann-Wetzlmaier are very satisfied with the new barn. Every cow has a free stall and can go to feed in a relaxed manner. The air and climate here are great, the couple is pleased to report.
"It's relaxed in the barn and you can also tell from the milk yield that the cows are doing well."
The new barn of the Baumann-Wetzlmaier family offers the highest cow comfort and is prepared for the future plans of the next generations. We are pleased to be able to continue supporting the family for many years to come and to contribute to the future of the farm with our barn mats.
Watch the full farm story in the video:
The following products are used on this farm:
