Beef building - green field site

[organicguy]

Had a bit of luck and can replace some beef buildings on a new plot along side existing yard.
Unfortunately not a money no object project as the mortgage needs some help but the job needs to be right and for the long term. Needs space for 100 600kg cattle at peak, clamp and solid dung storage. Straw bedding.
Flexible so can be used for smaller cattle.
What would your ideal layout be and what must haves?

TIA

OG

 

[hendrebc]

Make sure its bigger than you think you will need your bound to use it at some point. Especially the muck heap

 

[GTB]

I would put the feed barriers on the outside rather than a feed passage which would mean you could feed with a loader if your feeder / mixer wagon broke down.

 

[Dry Rot]

Draw up a plan and put in your "desire lines". That is, mark out what route you will follow every time you do something with the building, like putting cattle in and out, feed storage, crush, loading, mucking out, bedding down, feeding, etc. then juggle things around to effect the most efficient compromise -- because whatever you do, it'll never be perfect!

 

[simmy_bull]

Is straw use an issue? If I was starting from scratch I would have a scrape passage next to the feed barrier to help save the bedding.

 

[John Chance]

Feed face on outside wall to maximise roofed area for animals.
Scrape passage.
Stood in scrape passage when drinking.
Gates / panels to close them in the bedded area when scraping out.
Open or vented ridge.

 

[organicguy]

Make sure its bigger than you think you will need your bound to use it at some point. Especially the muck heap

My thought was to leave one end completely open to extend another day.
Thanks for your thoughts, all really good, some I had thought of, nice to have agreement, some I haven,t.
Dry rot, good idea drawing routes on the plan.

 

[Pan mixer]

I had the same situation a couple of years ago - although for slightly less cattle.

Here is what I have done, very pleased with it, 20 minutes a day to feed and bed about 45. Cost about 50 K with us doing the internals, concrete scrape, chalk under bedded area. Flip over troughs in between the scrape and bedded areas but only accessible from the scrape side.

120 by 40 with a 5 foot cantilever. Handling back right outside and along the rear to let cattle back in through either of those little doors in the back wall, although this bit is still under construction.

4 foot panels along the feed trough to stop draughts and sliage going all over the yard. Open ridge.

I put proper ends in to keep the ventilation right, extension would only mean re-hanging the doors and taking down the apex.

 

[S J H]

Had a bit of luck and can replace some beef buildings on a new plot along side existing yard.
Unfortunately not a money no object project as the mortgage needs some help but the job needs to be right and for the long term. Needs space for 100 600kg cattle at peak, clamp and solid dung storage. Straw bedding.
Flexible so can be used for smaller cattle.
What would your ideal layout be and what must haves?

TIA

OG

I'd put 2 45' wide sheds facing each other with the feed passage between the 2,

Either that or a 90' feeding on the outside, but 1 side will always have the weather.

 

[Forever Fendt]

I had the same situation a couple of years ago - although for slightly less cattle.

Here is what I have done, very pleased with it, 20 minutes a day to feed and bed about 45. Cost about 50 K with us doing the internals, concrete scrape, chalk under bedded area. Flip over troughs in between the scrape and bedded areas but only accessible from the scrape side.

View attachment 619420
120 by 40 with a 5 foot cantilever. Handling back right outside and along the rear to let cattle back in through either of those little doors in the back wall, although this bit is still under construction.

4 foot panels along the feed trough to stop draughts and sliage going all over the yard. Open ridge.

I put proper ends in to keep the ventilation right, extension would only mean re-hanging the doors and taking down the apex.

I like your shed the only reservation i would have is do you end up with some hand work cleaning the troughs out of any waste in the bottom but perhaps this is negated by the time saved not having to push the feed up

 

[Forever Fendt]

A cheap simple set up i can't see why you would want to spend anymore than this,if you are confident you will not need to alter the internal layout i would use panels and not gates to split the back 30ft up

 

[Inky]

@Pan mixer The gap between the rear wall and hanging post, are they for access to the pens on foot without having to open the gates? do you also have two black personnel doors in the back wall?

 

[Pan mixer]

@Pan mixer The gap between the rear wall and hanging post, are they for access to the pens on foot without having to open the gates? do you also have two black personnel doors in the back wall?

Yes they are the 11 inch wide gaps that I just fit through despite seasonal excesses.

The black doors are at the end of the outside race so that I can 'shed' cattle into either pen.

 

[Pan mixer]

I like your shed the only reservation i would have is do you end up with some hand work cleaning the troughs out of any waste in the bottom but perhaps this is negated by the time saved not having to push the feed up

Haven't had to do any hand work so far, there is a tiny bit they can't reach in the front corner, I may re jig the panels so that they are 6 inches narrower at the bottom - they are only clamped to rsj's outside.

 

[Forever Fendt]

Haven't had to do any hand work so far, there is a tiny bit they can't reach in the front corner, I may re jig the panels so that they are 6 inches narrower at the bottom - they are only clamped to rsj's outside.

I did see a picture somewhere of square concrete blocks maybe 3ft sq that had a channel cast in them at a angle to drop 7'x3' timbers in to make a trough back like you have done but could be moved if needed, looked handy

 

[Pan mixer]

I did see a picture somewhere of square concrete blocks maybe 3ft sq that had a channel cast in them at a angle to drop 7'x3' timbers in to make a trough back like you have done but could be moved if needed, looked handy

Could work, but I won't have timber anywhere in a cattle building where they might reach. I am convinced that it can harbour ringworm.

 

[Forever Fendt]

I did see a picture somewhere of square concrete blocks maybe 3ft sq that had a channel cast in them at a angle to drop 7'x3' timbers in to make a trough back like you have done but could be moved if needed, looked handy

edit looks like they will take a 4" panel

 

[Horn&corn]

40-45’ internal. 12’ scrape passage and 28’ bedding. Tipping Water trough in shed accessed from scrape passage and gates to hold back ideally. Feed bunker along side of shed formed out of concrete panels and cleaned out easy with a drag sweeper on a frame from forklift. Ours are 165’ Long and split into 3 pens or more if suits.

 

[organicguy]

40-45’ internal. 12’ scrape passage and 28’ bedding. Tipping Water trough in shed accessed from scrape passage and gates to hold back ideally. Feed bunker along side of shed formed out of concrete panels and cleaned out easy with a drag sweeper on a frame from forklift. Ours are 165’ Long and split into 3 pens or more if suits.

Have you got any photos?
Sounds very similar to my thoughts but I may have to go wider to get density right for organic

 

[Horn&corn]

Don’t go deeper as it limits feed space per animal and you’ll get bullying. Better to stretch to 200x40x16h feet with 7’ overhang. Clamps one end and dung the other. Leave room to have a 22’ passage then mirror it the other side. Come and have a look although most of our sheds are for organic milker cows. J18 m4