Calving shed

[supercow]

Hi, Building a calving shed this year, want to do the job right from the start. Anyone calving on sand would you recommend it? I seen a friends set up and it looked really good, wonder if anyone has any pros and cons, currently calve on straw and the price of it is unreal and I can’t keep them clean and bedded. Also, if a cows needing assistance calving what Set ups do you have, calving gates?

 

[Rossymons]

A small "office" type at the end would be worth its weight in gold. Milk fever, calving jack, ropes etc - all the stuff you need RIGHT NOW! in one place where it's needed. If you can get a hot water tap to it even better.

One of my guys has a calving gate and it's a brilliant thing. I think theirs is the IAE and its really well built. But the same could be achieved with a decent yard gate offset on the wall.

Not sure on sand. If you were a cow would you like a calf covered in sand? If you were a baby calf would you want swallow a mouthful of sand before getting some colostrum? If you moved away from straw I'm not sure what else would be just as good.

 

[lazy farmer]

If your calving in individual pens one at a time maybe it can work. We calved on sand for 5 yrs in. A large pen with upto 15 calving in a day. It got cold and wet very quickly. And we were constantly removing dung pats to try and extend the life of each load of sand and prevent bacteria build up.
the final straw came when whilst waiting for a new load of sand to arrive I put a grab of straw in the shed. The 6 cowsthat were stood in the corner of the pad immediately came over and led down.

 

[PREES]

What about calving pens with matts?

 

[lazy farmer]

We have a head yoke and gate to help a cow that won’t stand still. Calving jack and ropes etc are outside the door.

 

[supercow]

What about calving pens with matts?

Individual pens for calving cows? Would be a great idea would need a lot of room? Iv seen the calving matts, surely they are very slippy!?

 

[PREES]

We have just installed some cubicles with adjoining calving pens (with ex cubicle cubicle matts). Hoping to keep cows in cubicles as long as possible and then into calving pens at last moment! All for the same reason - cost of straw and challenges of keeping cows clean, also hope it will be easier to reduce the risk of Johnes transfer. We have washdown hose nearby and expect to use some sawdust. All in theory as we have finished calving for this year!!!

 

[Jdunn55]

Personally wouldn't skimp on straw for calving cows or calves on milk theres nothing as good as straw imo and yes it's expensive but calving and up to weaning are arguably the most important time for both the calf and the cow.

As for calving gates we bought an IAE one under the productivity scheme and my only regret is not buying another. Absolutely brilliant things, highly recommend. My plan is to buy another for the dairy cows and a portable milking machine to milk the colostrum off and give it to the calf asap

 

[supercow]

We have just installed some cubicles with adjoining calving pens (with ex cubicle cubicle matts). Hoping to keep cows in cubicles as long as possible and then into calving pens at last moment! All for the same reason - cost of straw and challenges of keeping cows clean, also hope it will be easier to reduce the risk of Johnes transfer. We have washdown hose nearby and expect to use some sawdust. All in theory as we have finished calving for this year!!!

Good idea. Smaller calving pen and nice cubicles

 

[pappuller]

Hi, Building a calving shed this year, want to do the job right from the start. Anyone calving on sand would you recommend it? I seen a friends set up and it looked really good, wonder if anyone has any pros and cons, currently calve on straw and the price of it is unreal and I can’t keep them clean and bedded. Also, if a cows needing assistance calving what Set ups do you have, calving gates?

First thing to do is work out how many cows you will have in there at your busiest calving period and build it for 125% of this number, good ventilation, plenty of bedded area and feed space, good led lighting, calving gate or holding facility that can be used by 1 person and probably cameras.straw bedding would be my choice

 

[Sparkymark]

A vacuum pipe from the parlour to power a dump bucket and a calving camera linked to an app on your phone, along with a gate and a yolk would be my tips.

 

[epfarms]

Another one for IAE calving gate, wouldn’t be without it now

 

[Durry cows]

Looking at jourdain/Ritchie/iae calving gate any thoughts on best one?

 

[Timbo]

Hi, Building a calving shed this year, want to do the job right from the start. Anyone calving on sand would you recommend it? I seen a friends set up and it looked really good, wonder if anyone has any pros and cons, currently calve on straw and the price of it is unreal and I can’t keep them clean and bedded. Also, if a cows needing assistance calving what Set ups do you have, calving gates?

Suggest you have a look at Pickstocks farm calf rearing shed up by Oswestry.

 

[Spudley]

I have to make do with an 8ft gate and a chain
We do have a vacuum line into each pen connected to a portable milker so I can cover 4 pens without dragging the milker around. It works very well.

 

[supercow]

A vacuum pipe from the parlour to power a dump bucket and a calving camera linked to an app on your phone, along with a gate and a yolk would be my tips.

Got calving cameras on my phone currently and I wouldn’t be without it. Il be getting them shifted into the new shed for sure, new shed further away from the house so the cameras will be more handy

 

[supercow]

I have to make do with an 8ft gate and a chain
We do have a vacuum line into each pen connected to a portable milker so I can cover 4 pens without dragging the milker around. It works very well.

We have a portable milker, well a broken one!!! Had to haul it round everywhere and needs an electrical point very handy!! I had extension cables, bit of a nightmare!!

 

[supercow]

If your calving in individual pens one at a time maybe it can work. We calved on sand for 5 yrs in. A large pen with upto 15 calving in a day. It got cold and wet very quickly. And we were constantly removing dung pats to try and extend the life of each load of sand and prevent bacteria build up.
the final straw came when whilst waiting for a new load of sand to arrive I put a grab of straw in the shed. The 6 cowsthat were stood in the corner of the pad immediately came over and led down.

So you wouldn’t recommend sand?? I think it either works or it doesn’t. I get told you need to spend 15 minutes every day taking away dung. I may well stick with the tried and tested straw, it is very expensive at the minute mind, we are spending 000’s a month and it’s just going to dry cows and young stock, not feeding it

 

[supercow]

What about calving pens with matts?

Are they slippy? Imagine a cow cleansed and slipped! I can’t imagjne them being non slippy at a time when your needing as much grip as possible

 

[lazy farmer]

We have just installed some cubicles with adjoining calving pens (with ex cubicle cubicle matts). Hoping to keep cows in cubicles as long as possible and then into calving pens at last moment! All for the same reason - cost of straw and challenges of keeping cows clean, also hope it will be easier to reduce the risk of Johnes transfer. We have washdown hose nearby and expect to use some sawdust. All in theory as we have finished calving for this year!!!

Fn

So you wouldn’t recommend sand?? I think it either works or it doesn’t. I get told you need to spend 15 minutes every day taking away dung. I may well stick with the tried and tested straw, it is very expensive at the minute mind, we are spending 000’s a month and it’s just going to dry cows and young stock, not feeding it

In my experience for group calving no I wouldn’t recommend it. Individual pens I could see it working. But only as stated above where cubicles are used until labour begins. The more time the cows spends on the sand the worse the environment becomes.