Vos Farms Composting Barn, Huntly 

Location: Huntly Waikato

BUILDING DETAILS

Size: 45.5m Wide, 66m Long
Style: Gable
System: Futura Box Beam System 
Herd Size: 320 Milking Cows alongside young and beef stock 
Primary uses: Covered feeding, cow resting, wet-weather housing, pasture protection and calving

+45,000 kgMS: More Production, More Control

Vos Farms’ composting barn was designed to help the family get more from their existing Huntly dairy platform without relying on the purchase of additional land.

The 66m-long by 45.5m-wide barn brings feeding, resting, wet-weather housing and calving into one central system. It gives the farm team greater control over cow management, pasture conditions and feed delivery throughout changing Waikato seasons.

Since the barn became part of the farming system, Vos Farms has reported increased milk production, improved feeding economics and a much more manageable approach to wet-weather grazing and calving.

“No, we wouldn’t have done any of that without the barn.”
Rene and Ereine Vos

The challenge

Vos Farms operates across clay hill country where wet weather can quickly affect pasture condition, feed utilisation and the amount of physical work required from the farm team.

Feeding cows outside during wet conditions was described as damaging, difficult and wasteful. The team also had to manage calving checks across wet paddocks, temporary fencing and the daily pressure of deciding where cows could be placed without causing further pasture damage.

The farm wanted to increase production, but purchasing another property would have required significantly more borrowing and introduced another farm to manage.

Instead, the family chose to invest in infrastructure that would improve the performance and resilience of the existing operation.

Why Vos Farms chose a composting barn

The barn was selected as more than a covered feedpad.

It provides a deep-bedded resting area where cows can be brought off pasture during vulnerable conditions, while the central feedlane allows feed to be delivered in a more controlled environment.

The building also provides a sheltered space for calving, cow monitoring and handling calves during wet weather.

For Vos Farms, the barn created the ability to change several parts of the farming system at once:

• Feed cows under cover.
• Protect pasture during prolonged wet conditions.
• Monitor springers and calving cows more closely.
• Improve cow comfort and condition.
• Increase cow numbers without a matching increase in permanent labour.
• Make grazing decisions based on soil and pasture conditions.
• Produce more milk from the existing farm platform.

+45,000 kgMS Annual Production Increase

Vos Farms reported annual production increasing from approximately 129,000 kgMS in 2024/25 to 174,000 kgMS in 2025/26.

This increase occurred alongside approximately 50 additional cows and wider changes to feeding, grazing and farm management. The barn enabled those system changes, but should not be viewed as the sole cause of the production increase.

Per-cow production increased

Reported per-cow production increased from approximately 420 to 430 kgMS per cow to 570 kgMS per cow.

The owners and their adviser attributed the improvement to a combination of factors, including:

• Greater control over feeding.
• More days in milk.
• Improved cow condition.
• Better pasture protection.
• Changes to feed type and delivery.
• Reduced weather-related disruption.
• The ability to manage cows under cover.

Labour remained relatively stable

Normal staffing remained at the two farm owners plus one employee, despite cow numbers increasing by approximately 50.

A temporary additional person was used for a limited period, estimated at around 0.15 of a full-time role.

Better Feed Economics

Before the system changed, high-cost feed delivered through the dairy shed was reported at approximately 70 cents per kilogram of dry matter.

Following changes to the feed mix and delivery system, Vos Farms reported an average feed cost closer to 38 to 40 cents per kilogram of dry matter.

During spring, the farm described feeding approximately six kilograms more per cow for around 30 cents per cow per day, while achieving an average production gain of approximately 0.3 kgMS per cow per day during that period.

These figures reflect a wider feeding-system change enabled by the barn, rather than a standalone building result.

Protecting pasture through wet weather 

One of the most valuable changes has been the ability to remove cows from vulnerable paddocks when Waikato soils become wet.

Rather than continuing to graze and risk further damage, the team can bring cows into the barn, feed them under cover and return them to pasture when conditions improve.

This provides greater flexibility to:

• Reduce pugging and treading damage.
• Protect pasture cover.
• Allow recently grazed paddocks more time to recover.
• Avoid feeding valuable supplements in mud or rain.
• Reduce unnecessary pressure on the wider grazing platform.
• Make better decisions during unpredictable weather.

The farm describes feed brought into the barn as being much more effectively used than feed offered outside in wet conditions. 

A more manageable calving system

The barn has also changed how the team handles calving during wet spring conditions.

Cows can be monitored under cover rather than repeatedly checked across wet paddocks. The team can complete an early check, return home for breakfast and come back later to collect calves.

This has reduced the time spent walking through mud, shifting temporary fences and locating cows across the farm.

“The first winter I haven’t had to move cows before 8am. That’s been an underestimated bonus.”
Rene Vos

The benefit is not only measured in labour hours. It has made difficult spring mornings more predictable and reduced the physical and mental pressure associated with calving in poor weather.

Supporting cow condition and performance 

The herd was described as being more even following the introduction of the barn and wider system changes.

Cows that may previously have stood out as being in poorer condition were reported to be closer to a body condition score of 4.5 when dried off, while cows being dried off later were around condition score 5.

Vos Farms also reported improving reproductive performance. However, changes to nutrition, cow condition, management and calving dates occurred at the same time, so reproductive improvements should not be attributed to the barn alone.

Investing in the existing farm

The decision was ultimately about improving the productive capacity of the farm the family already owned.

Rather than purchasing more land and taking on another property, Vos Farms invested in an asset that helped increase production, protect existing pasture and make the current operation easier to manage.

The result is a farming system with greater control over feed, cows, calving and weather-related risk.

Learning and adapting

Like any higher-input farming system, the composting barn required the team to adapt its nutrition and management approach.

Increasing feed intake and production created a need for closer monitoring of cow condition, minerals and animal health. The team has continued refining the system as it has learned how the cows respond to higher feed levels and more controlled conditions.

This learning curve is an important part of the Vos Farms story. The barn created new opportunities, but achieving strong results still required active management and changes across the whole farm system.

More than a production result 

For Rene and Ereine, the biggest change may be how farming feels day to day.

The barn has reduced the stress of wet-weather feeding and calving, given the team more confidence in difficult conditions and created a more enjoyable system to operate.

More milk matters. But so does having greater control, reducing pressure on the people running the farm and making farming enjoyable again.

Read Farmers Weekly Article 

Location: Huntly, Waikato
Client: Dairy Farmer
Application: Dairy Farming Waikato, 
Reference: C3155