New calf house.

[Conrad]

Wanting to build a new calf house for 150 calfs. Reared in pens of 12 using hang on gate feeders. Want to be able to clean out with merlo, bed using spread a bale on merlo.
What style is best for ventilation and air flow? Old calf hse is done it's an old low pig hse. Want to use shed for storage rest of year as were only spring calfing.

 

[Fergieman]

How sheltered are you? But 2 lean too type buildings facing each other with an open centre passage between them is goo for ventilation and cleaning out.

@Fraserb will have some photos of their's.

 

[Fraserb]

Thats looking a long the front of them.



Theres a couple of bays like this for when theyre first born



Then onto the feeder



Then into the bigger pens



Theres also a couple of smaller pens where 1 or 2 can be put for special attention

 

[The Son]

I would seriously consider a feeder for that number of calves.

Have a chat to these guys http://www.calfigloo.com/aboutus.html Joff and Emma Roberts, I have had a look round, they do a lot of calves and make a good job of them, they are definatley worth talking to.

 

[Cows 'n grass]

How budget do you want to go.

This one only holds 48 (4 x 12). We are also spring calving so calves are moved out of here as soon weather permits, hopefully before they're 6 weeks old.

Its all based around 15 foot gates. Its just a timber frame mono pitch roof with a bit of polytunnel plastic stretched over each bay.

Total build cost was about £1800, more than half of which was the gates. It's not much good for anything else the rest of the year but I have got 1 bay full of tomato plants at the moment that seem to be doing pretty well.

 

[Conrad]

We are fairly sheltered by trees and other existing sheds. Not sure on budget, we can do most of the work ourself as long as we get the shed supplied and erected. The existing calf house has a old slatted pig tank up each side so I think I will do away with that as it makes the hse smelly.
Would like the Hse to hold some yearlings over the winter first then clean out and hose. Then put baby calfs in to it at spring time.

 

[Headless chicken]

I personally don't like bedding calves by machine. I think it's an important part of they're development with you and important time that you spend with them every day or every other. Trouble with bedding machine is there is a lot of dust as well.

 

[Headless chicken]

+1 for joff and Emma as well. If your Sereous about calf health then you need to see there system. A real eye opener into how it can and should be done

 

[Ballygreenan]

Our calf house has a tank under part of it, which extends into the front of the pens. The floor behind is laid to a slight fall and we bed with shavings on rubber/foam mats. The urine drains away into the tank thus keeping beds drier and cleaner (as a rule) the calves are dry and comfy and the ammonia levels are significantly reduced. While the tank could be seen as overkill we find it great as an overflow besides the benefit to calf health.

 

[Springrove]

Thats looking a long the front of them.

View attachment 53436

Theres a couple of bays like this for when theyre first born

View attachment 53437

Then onto the feeder

View attachment 53438

Then into the bigger pens

View attachment 53439

Theres also a couple of smaller pens where 1 or 2 can be put for special attention

View attachment 53440

Just WOW. Fantastic setup!

Lookin to change our calf housing system,
Was looking to do a 80x 40 shed A roof, 2 large doors at the end,
As we are very Exposed to Wind in our yard up on the hill!

What dimentions are these shed you have?

Would a Chimney be sufficient at the ridge cap?

 

[Fraserb]

Just WOW. Fantastic setup!

Lookin to change our calf housing system,
Was looking to do a 80x 40 shed A roof, 2 large doors at the end,
As we are very Exposed to Wind in our yard up on the hill!

What dimentions are these shed you have?

Would a Chimney be sufficient at the ridge cap?

Each bay is 6.6m x 14m, and 9 bays long, so 60m x 14m in total, theres a gap of 8m between the 2 sheds with a 1m overhang on one side and 2.5 on the other, it needs to be pretty wild to get much rain into the pens.

It would be difficult/impossible to design something to cope with all weather, we occasionally get some rain/ snow into the pens but also sometimes could do with slightly more air flow.

 

[Springrove]

If u put a windbreaker at the canopy down maybe a meter would it help keep snow out?


So 20ft wide by 50ft is each pen!

Nice one!


I might just do one side and build it in against the hill so that may shelter it from the north wind but still have good air flow,

Sweet setup that you have!

 

[Fraserb]

If u put a windbreaker at the canopy down maybe a meter would it help keep snow out?


So 20ft wide by 50ft is each pen!

Nice one!


I might just do one side and build it in against the hill so that may shelter it from the north wind but still have good air flow,

Sweet setup that you have!

The windbreaker would certainly help, even if some did get in wouldn't get nearly as far back

 

[Springrove]

Yup, but you have great length so snow/ rain wouldn't get beyond the front 10ft???

 

[Fraserb]

Yeah its only the very fronts that get wet, doesnt happen very often though

 

[Springrove]

Well I guess ventilation is key to calf health, no drafts etc.

But last year I was on a farm and the guy reckons a cow ideal temp is 3 degrees and a calf is 18degrees???

 

[Ballygreenan]

I was chatting to a guy who is planning a calf house, for birth to 6 months age-group. He reckons he will have up to 200 head in it and is talking about a fully enclosed shed with some sort of forced ventilation/air-conditioning.

 

[bovine]

By far the biggest mistake I see with calf housing is the height of the building. Too many people put up a standard portal frame shed that they can drive a tractor in, and yet the small calves cannot generate enough heat to drive the stack effect.

The best calf housing I have seen have always been dedicated facilities - a low ceiling is vital (10 foot). Good draught proofing with adequate ventilation.

If you need to use the shed for other uses then consider creating micro environments in a bigger shed. You can give then straw bales or group hutches inside the shed. You might need to use calf coats or supplementary heating (infra-red).

The roof hight above the Jerseys if fine, the nice shed with the B&W calves is way to high.

 

[Henery]

Would really go and look at Joff and Emma Roberts. The open shed with igloos makes total sense. Too much calf rearing goes on in sheds that just happens to be there. Very high airy sheds are great in summer, in winter they are hopeless, calves can't generate enough heat to be comfortable . They become stressed and the usual sh!t ensues ...

 

[Springrove]

Would really go and look at Joff and Emma Roberts. The open shed with igloos makes total sense. Too much calf rearing goes on in sheds that just happens to be there. Very high airy sheds are great in summer, in winter they are hopeless, calves can't generate enough heat to be comfortable . They become stressed and the usual sh!t ensues ...

I like the look of them Igloo's but for the summer, autumn I'd use calf housing as straw storage!!!

Alot of calf hutches around here!