How wide is too wide........

[early riser]

Making final plans for new cubicle building featuring wide, tractor scraped passages and sand beds.

Original plan was for 14ft scrape passage between beds and 16ft min against feed barrier (cows not backing onto it).

We farm on a very windy exposed site and I'm slightly concerned about passages drying out too much and becoming slippy if they are too wide, particularly during early spring when cows at grass through day. Granted, sand will help with grip to an extent.

I'm under pressure from planners to reduce the overall width of the building, so would say a 12ft passage be the better option, or am I worrying needlessly?

Cheers

 

[Horn&corn]

Our latest shed has the wider passage and it’s best by miles. Much less slurry depth in morn and cows happier. Fight it on welfare and they’ll back down.

 

[Bald Rick]

Making final plans for new cubicle building featuring wide, tractor scraped passages and sand beds.

Original plan was for 14ft scrape passage between beds and 16ft min against feed barrier (cows not backing onto it).

We farm on a very windy exposed site and I'm slightly concerned about passages drying out too much and becoming slippy if they are too wide, particularly during early spring when cows at grass through day. Granted, sand will help with grip to an extent.

I'm under pressure from planners to reduce the overall width of the building, so would say a 12ft passage be the better option, or am I worrying needlessly?

Cheers

You can narrow the width between cubicles to 3.6m (12') - but allow decent cross passages - but don't compromise on the feed barrier side with 5m (15') a minimum

 

[Farmer_1994]

I agree with @Bald Rick, 15’ wide by the feed rail and 12’ between rows of stalls. Common practice here is now 16’ wide cross alleys with big waterers as well. Father in law built a barn very recently just the same and with sand. No problems with traction as cows are bedded on sand. Sounds like a very nice barn to me that your planning. Good luck!

 

[Nearly]

They'll spill enough out of the water troughs to keep it wet.

 

[early riser]

@Moorlands what widths did you go for?

 

[Robot Jon]

Ours are just over 18ft from feed barrier to cubicle and 15 ft between the cubicles. Are cows are in AYR and I was worried that mine would dry out in the summer but they don't seem to.

 

[Moorlands]

@Moorlands what widths did you go for?

Ours are 14ft and happy with them at that. Cross overs are 16-18ft

 

[coomoo]

I’ve a three row cubicle shed 14 feed and 12 passage need auto scrapers going every couple of hours. Got tipping water troughs in cross overs tip them in dry weather but I’m aw Scotland so it’s a never a problem for long.

 

[Grassman247]

Making final plans for new cubicle building featuring wide, tractor scraped passages and sand beds.

Original plan was for 14ft scrape passage between beds and 16ft min against feed barrier (cows not backing onto it).

We farm on a very windy exposed site and I'm slightly concerned about passages drying out too much and becoming slippy if they are too wide, particularly during early spring when cows at grass through day. Granted, sand will help with grip to an extent.

I'm under pressure from planners to reduce the overall width of the building, so would say a 12ft passage be the better option, or am I worrying needlessly?

Cheers

Personally in the future anything I build the cows won’t back out on to the feed passage lane. They will be single rows arse to arse. That way you can have 2 beds to one feed space and can have slightly narrower passages, mine are 4m (13ft). I would really consider fitting auto scrapers, we scrape 1000 cows out and it’s a mammoth task needing lots of labour which just isn’t available. Make the passages narrower and the money you save on concrete spend on auto scrapers