Imperial County has everything you need....but your cows!

Land, water, power, feed, labor, expedited permitting, and markets nearby
*Low cost dairy-ready land: 500,000 acres of irrigated farm land with 43,000 of A-3
   land at an average price of $2,500/acre
*3.1 MAF of Colorado River water with the strongest water rights in the USA for only 
  15 acres per foot 
*Power charges are the 2nd lowest in California
*Feed grown locally
*Large labor pool available
*3 to 6 weeks process on A-3 ground
*Local & State incentives available
*Short commute to Mexico & urban Southern California

For more information contact the Imperial Valley Dairy Referral : 1-877-NEW-DAIRY or David Ritter at the Imperial County Ag Office (760) 482-4314




Desert Dairying Technology
Technology: Research in the past 20 years in Arizona, Saudi Arabia and the Negev Desert has revolutionized desert dairying and developed methods to significantly reduce the major problems of summer heat: stress, lower production and a decrease in conception rates.

Modern Misting Sheds: First attempts at cooling the environment used shades and fans. The technique was improved by adding a fine mist spray to the wet surface skin of the cow, providing an even greater combined benefit. The use of fans and foggers typically decreases the body temperature of the stressed cow from 105° to 102.1°, about 0.6° over normal. Adding misting reduces the surface temperature of the cow to about 70°.

Production Increases: Many experiments conducted by Dr. Dennis Armstrong of the University of Arizona Cooperative Extensions, have demonstrated the positive effect of the cooling. Armstrong, a recognized world-expert on dairying in the desert, has shown a consistent increase of 6-7 lbs. in milk production under cooling.

In 1984, Armstrong conducted a study using 200 cows. Half were in a control group without cooling and the other half under a corral shade/misting system. The test was conducted from May to October. Production in the control group dropped 15 lbs. Under the shade/mister, cows produced 6 lbs. more per day than the control group. They also had a higher conception rate and 10% fewer cull cows.

He conducted another study of 180 late-lactating pregnant cows in 1988 with cows divided into three groups. Production in the control group dropped 18 lbs. In a second group, where the conventional fans and sprays were used, production dropped 6 lbs. The third group used a multi-injection misting system, and production dropped only 4 lbs.

Armstrong noted a significant reduction in the stress level under cooling in both studies.
 
Increased milk production pays for the cost of coolers in 1 ½ - 2 years. Some additional corral maintenance is required for the foggers and fans. The usable life of the cooling sheds is at least 10 years.

Conception Rate Increases: Under desert summer heat, without evaporating cooling, conception rates are 0-15% per month. With cooling, conception rates are 35-50%, compared to the normal rate of 45-45% per month.

Herd Management: To minimize the conception problems in the desert climates, Armstrong recommends that herd breeding schedules be changed to rest more cows during the summer and breed in the fall.

Cows like the shade/misters during the peak mid-day, and only leave them to feed. The newest types of shade/misters are even more effective than earlier versions in the relieving heat stress and providing a comfortable environment.

Extras:
*Dairy Digestibles(Fun Facts About Dairy)