Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie
Hi there,
There is an issue with role permissions that is being worked on at the moment.
If you are having trouble with access or permissions on regional forums please post here to get access: https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058365403/you-do-not-have-permission-for-that#latest

calf housing ideas

  • 18-02-2014 10:51pm
    #1
    st1979
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 936 ✭✭✭


    What are peoples ideas on calf housing. Now dont bother telling me the field is best as my land is way too wet for calves before april. Have to redo sheds up after storm.
    Do you start them in single pens/hutches in a shed or outside on concrete


Comments

  • #2
    munkus
    Closed Accounts Posts: 531 ✭✭✭munkus


    st1979 wrote: »
    What are peoples ideas on calf housing. Now dont bother telling me the field is best as my land is way too wet for calves before april. Have to redo sheds up after storm.
    Do you start them in single pens/hutches in a shed or outside on concrete

    That's a tough one. We use two small sheds that really was a house 100 years ago, converted into two. Each around 16m2. We fit around 8 calves into each. Problem is ventilation isn't great and this can lead to pneumonia. Ventilation without draft is the holy grail for calf sheds. Was going to take an old cow house with cubicles and make an individual calf pen from each cubicle. Having them on their own would be better imo.

    In Pallaskenry teagasc farm they built a custom designed calf shed, looked the business. Nearly every calf that went in got pneumonia, so they now have them all in the yard in hutches. They use the shed for storing straw now.


  • #3
    bbam
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,410 ✭✭✭bbam


    I think groups of six would be ideal and use an eight teat feeder. Singles is just making more work and I read an article not recommending single housing.

    Great fall on floor so straw drains out well.

    No wood in pens at all. All gates or mesh.

    Build in an isolation pen now. Close to the door and power for IR lamp.


  • #4
    dh1985
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 621 ✭✭✭dh1985


    bbam wrote: »
    I think groups of six would be ideal and use an eight teat feeder. Singles is just making more work and I read an article not recommending single housing.

    Great fall on floor so straw drains out well.

    No wood in pens at all. All gates or mesh.

    Build in an isolation pen now. Close to the door and power for IR lamp.

    Why no wood just out of interest


  • #5
    bbam
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,410 ✭✭✭bbam


    dh1985 wrote: »
    Why no wood just out of interest
    It harbours bacteria/virus.. Ringworm etc..


  • #6
    Timmaay
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,396 ✭✭✭✭Timmaay


    bbam wrote: »
    It harbours bacteria/virus.. Ringworm etc..

    Didnt think about that, thanks.

    On the calf house design, does it not make sense to combine it with a straw shed, store straw there from autumn till now, by this time of the year alot the straw is used up, whatever isnt can be left outside for the few weeks.


  • Advertisement
  • #7
    dzer2
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,965 ✭✭✭dzer2


    Rear a lot of calves here have 2 sheds that hold 8 at a time 15 ft x 15ft 10 ft high at eave have open gate at front with rings and head locks for them decent fall on floor only bed the back half as they scatter straw as they run around. They get moved to a bigger shed after 4 weeks when they have being vaccinated and drinking and eating properly. This shed has 5 bays 16 ft by 20 and 14 ft to eave with 7 ft wall and wind break over the wall.

    Try to have all drinkers out side the shed.

    Try to have decent day light as well makes the calves look better.

    Have 2 sick bays away from these sheds where i have power and power floated floors and plastered walls for power washing.

    Power wash each shed after each batch of calves and disinfect

    Give booster for pneumonia after 6 weeks.


Advertisement