Patz Equipment Success Story
Vicky & Al Beran of Beran’s Dairy, Birnamwood, WI
Beran’s Dairy Expands Herd…
Shortens Chore Time!
Fifty years ago, Joe Beran made the momentous decision to leave his job at a local feed mill to start his own dairy farm. He and his wife Gertie purchased a 120-acre farm in Birnamwood, WI. Since the property did not include any cattle, they invested in a small herd of dairy cows and began milking.
Continuing the family tradition, Joe & Gertie’s son Al chose dairy farming as his career. In 1991, Al and his wife Vicky started leasing Beran’s Dairy and its 50-cow herd from Al’s parents. Just three years later, they decided to purchase the farm, land, and cattle.
With time, the Berans accrued over 550 acres of land (owned and rented) which they farm to feed their herd. The excess land is cash cropped for an additional source of income. Al & Vicky slowly began to notice that more and more of this land was needed to keep up with their growing herd’s appetite. As the herd now surpassed 80 cows, the Berans’ barn was becoming overcrowded. Knowing that cow comfort is essential for a healthy, high-producing herd, Al & Vicky determined that an expansion was in order.
Al Beran (left) and Tim Rew, Rew Motors, Inc., stand beside the Patz Model 800 Twin Screw Vertical Mixer in operation on Beran’s Dairy.
In 2010, Al & Vicky decided to build a 3-row 72’ x 160’ curtain walled barn. This “half” barn design will allow them to add three rows in the future, creating a standard 6-row barn. They also installed a manure pit to allow for future expansion.
The larger barn has enabled the Berans to increase their herd to over 200 head, comprised of 100 milking cows and youngstock.
To maintain this beautiful new freestall barn, the Berans identified the need for an effective, efficient manure-handling system. They knew just where to go for the solution: their local Patz Dealer, Rew Motors, Inc. of Birnamwood, WI.
To feed their herd, Al & Vicky had just recently replaced their horizontal mixer with a 620 cu. ft. Patz Model 800 Twin Screw Vertical Mixer. Their new mixer allows them to mix a wider variety of feedstuffs into their rations. After experiencing great results with their new Patz Vertical Mixer, they did not hesitate to choose Patz for their manure-handling needs.
Using two Model 4444 Pit Pumps, Al can agitate and transfer waste while he loads his mixer!
With assistance from Rew Motors, Inc., the Berans invested in two Patz Model 4444 Vertical Pit Pumps to keep their herd clean and comfortable. Located in the old tie stall barn, one pump agitates the wastewater from the milk house and manure from the special needs cows before transferring it to the flume pipe in the new freestall barn. From there, the waste flows into an 8’x8’x8’ reception pit in the corner of the new barn. Here, the second Model 4444 Pump agitates and transfers the waste underground to an aboveground concrete manure storage area.
Al is pleased to report that his new Patz Vertical Pit Pumps are saving him time and labor. He is now able to agitate and pump the manure while he loads the mixer from the silos, allowing him to do two chores at once!
The barn was designed to accommodate an automated alley scraper system in the future, but after scraping with a skid steer for a few weeks, Al & Vicky decided to invest in a Model 320 Alley Scraper ASAP! Since then, Al has never looked back.
These cows stay clean & comfortable with the Berans’ Patz Alley Scraper & Pumps.
He said, “The chore of manure handling is automatic. The scrapers keep the cows cleaner and should allow the barn to last longer. The alley scrapers are cheap hired help – they are reliable and are never late for work!”
Milk production and quality clearly play a large role in an operation’s profitability. Today, Beran’s Dairy’s herd averages 75 lbs./cow on twice-a-day milking. According to Al, “Herd health is better because of better cow comfort in the new barn. Our cows are cleaner because of the alley scraper system which affects milk quality.” The Berans were planning on a 10-year payback period but report that they are currently ahead of schedule.
The automation of the Patz manure-handling system has enabled Al & Vicky to milk more cows without hiring labor outside of the family. Their sons Jeremy and Jason & his wife Stacey, along with a few nephews, comprise the workforce at different times of the year. Sadly, Joe Beran passed away in 2004, just six years before the expansion.
Based on their previous mixer purchase, Al & Vicky Beran expected superior service from Rew Motors, Inc. with their new Patz Model 4444 Vertical Pit Pumps and Model 320 Alley Scraper. They were not disappointed. Al remarked, “We are very satisfied with Rew. They are responsive and knowledgeable. If they didn’t have the answer, they found it and got back to us quickly. They do what they say they’ll do.”
Seeing is Believing!