Calf Hutches

amacca

Any thoughts on calf hutches here?

I'm thinking of getting some for calf rearing....probably the larger group plastic hutches...I like the idea of them for hygiene and convenience/cleaning among other things

Thing is €1300 seems expensive for one of the JFC plastic ones ...I was looking at some of the chinese ones on ali express etc...they seem cheaper if you buy volume, some are minimum order 10 units and I'd be concerned (perhaps unnecessarily) about quality

I was looking at the larger corrugated metal roofing bent into a hoop style ones as well but at €800 for the larger ones I reckon I might be able to make a fair fist of welding some of these up myself

Anyone gone down the route of the JFC ones or alternatives like above? Anyone have opinions on alternatives?

I'm done with pokey sheds and graping dung to the same degree I used to if at all possible

freedominacup

amacca wrote: »

Any thoughts on calf hutches here?

I'm thinking of getting some for calf rearing....probably the larger group plastic hutches...I like the idea of them for hygiene and convenience/cleaning among other things

Thing is €1300 seems expensive for one of the JFC plastic ones ...I was looking at some of the chinese ones on ali express etc...they seem cheaper if you buy volume, some are minimum order 10 units and I'd be concerned (perhaps unnecessarily) about quality

I was looking at the larger corrugated metal roofing bent into a hoop style ones as well but at €800 for the larger ones I reckon I might be able to make a fair fist of welding some of these up myself

Anyone gone down the route of the JFC ones or alternatives like above? Anyone have opinions on alternatives?

I'm done with pokey sheds and graping dung to the same degree I used to if at all possible

We have them twenty years at this stage. I have great regard for the indvidual ones but the group ones are only ok. At 1300 each and talking about ten of you'd go a fair distance on a more permanent structure for that money.

charolais0153

freedominacup wrote: »

We have them twenty years at this stage. I have great regard for the indvidual ones but the group ones are only ok. At 1300 each and talking about ten of you'd go a fair distance on a more permanent structure for that money.

What does one of these cost
http://jfcagri.com/cattle/calf-hutches/ch110/

Sam Kade

amacca wrote: »

Any thoughts on calf hutches here?

I'm thinking of getting some for calf rearing....probably the larger group plastic hutches...I like the idea of them for hygiene and convenience/cleaning among other things

Thing is €1300 seems expensive for one of the JFC plastic ones ...I was looking at some of the chinese ones on ali express etc...they seem cheaper if you buy volume, some are minimum order 10 units and I'd be concerned (perhaps unnecessarily) about quality

I was looking at the larger corrugated metal roofing bent into a hoop style ones as well but at €800 for the larger ones I reckon I might be able to make a fair fist of welding some of these up myself

Anyone gone down the route of the JFC ones or alternatives like above? Anyone have opinions on alternatives?

I'm done with pokey sheds and graping dung to the same degree I used to if at all possible

It wouldn't be rocket science I made a few make shift hutches around 14 years ago, I just put a few pallets up against a wall with a few sheets of galvanize on top and 2 14' gates in front. Reared about 16 calves in a 30' run, I also had pallets on the ground as slats. Worked great for rearing calves up to 6 weeks. You could also make individual hutches if you could bend box iron and put cladding on it like these pig arcs only higher, http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/livestock-forums/pigs/191300-pig-shelter-advice.html It would work out a lot cheaper than those €800 hutches.

amacca

charolais0153 wrote: »

What does one of these cost
http://jfcagri.com/cattle/calf-hutches/ch110/

I think between €250-300 depending on where you source and volume with individual penning for each costing around the same - so approx. €500 per calf if you go down that route afaik

freedominacup wrote: »

We have them twenty years at this stage. I have great regard for the indvidual ones but the group ones are only ok. At 1300 each and talking about ten of you'd go a fair distance on a more permanent structure for that money.

Thats sort of the issue....I'm in the process of flooring and kitting out and old ramshakle shed into a decent additional shed and I was going to leave an area of this for calves but the cost would be prohibitive (short term) to make this draught free, easy access and easy cleaned without creating more pokey holes which I already have enough of so I was hoping not to be under pressure to spend big on this and do it piecemeal while improving the calf rearing with something like the hutches.....+the cost of doing the shed out without a dedicated calf space would be less

its interesting you say you find the individual ones superior...I had sort of ruled them out on the basis theres no pint going for them without individual penning so that would mean additional labour as each calf would have to be fed individually and extra cost due to penning or else a whole lot of hassle sorting them back to their individual pens after group feeding...Im actually fairly well set up in terms of equipment (imho) to group feed them

Do you find the individual ones much better than the group ones in terms of preventing spread of disease or thrive (due to less stress) or both?

Sam Kade wrote: »

It wouldn't be rocket science I made a few make shift hutches around 14 years ago, I just put a few pallets up against a wall with a few sheets of galvanize on top and 2 14' gates in front. Reared about 16 calves in a 30' run, I also had pallets on the ground as slats. Worked great for rearing calves up to 6 weeks. You could also make individual hutches if you could bend box iron and put cladding on it like these pig arcs only higher, http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/livestock-forums/pigs/191300-pig-shelter-advice.html It would work out a lot cheaper than those €800 hutches.

Yup I was sort of thinking I could even make the larger ones by welding up a frame and getting a couple of sheets of cladding bent into a hoop with a local fabricator...even put a lifting eye on top......just thought they might not be as good due to condensation or cold metal surfaces or calves been boiled out of it during hot weather + harder to clean.........might not be as long lasting or as hygenic as the plastic ones

kerry cow

Why do they have to be hooped , could they not be small lento type

charolais0153

What section on donedeal would you out them up under. Farm shed or dairy or something else

Sam Kade

charolais0153 wrote: »

What section on donedeal would you out them up under. Farm shed or dairy or something else

Just go to everything and search for calf hutch, hutches.

amacca

kerry cow wrote: »

Why do they have to be hooped , could they not be small lento type

I suppose I'd like them to be freestanding so I could move them....It would help cleaning....Id planned to site them in a line and when calfs have moved on ...lift them all up and drive along the length of them with front loader and bucket ...tip contents into dung spreader and bobs ur uncle labour reduced

was also thinking they could double job a bit and I could put them out int the fields if there happens to be any weaker calves that need additional shelter when out

lean to sort of conjures up images of having to secure them to the support building and them not being portable which defeats the purpose as I already have a load of small stone buildings which are very labor intensive

charolais0153

Sam Kade wrote: »

Just go to everything and search for calf hutch, hutches.

Have one to sell

foxy farmer

Would you consider making hutches out of stokbord? Something like these.

amacca

foxy farmer wrote: »

Would you consider making hutches out of stokbord? Something like these.

Id consider anything if it yielded a similar product and was more cost effective

those look good...are they available commercially or are there plans available for them?

no real experience working with stokboard, do you need special equipment to bend it like that

Sam Kade

charolais0153 wrote: »

Have one to sell

Farming other or livestock.

PMU

creva agri based in galway have hutches. go on their website.their large hutch holds 6-7 calves

K.G.

use carbery animal arks myself in conjuntion with crowd barriers and found it a great job .about 7 to 8 calves a hutch with 2 barriers(one shared) in front.the whole set up easy to set up and dismantle and barriers a nice height for calves.bedded with wood chip and this year i plan to put wood chip the length of the hutch backfrom it so i can just pull hutch back and stick in an extra barrier as calves grow so that they have more room and a fresh bed in the hutch.i think they are around 550e

Mooooo

K.G. wrote: »

use carbery animal arks myself in conjuntion with crowd barriers and found it a great job .about 7 to 8 calves a hutch with 2 barriers(one shared) in front.the whole set up easy to set up and dismantle and barriers a nice height for calves.bedded with wood chip and this year i plan to put wood chip the length of the hutch backfrom it so i can just pull hutch back and stick in an extra barrier as calves grow so that they have more room and a fresh bed in the hutch.i think they are around 550e

Would you put straw in as well.?

K.G.

no

Keepgrowing

K.G. wrote: »

use carbery animal arks myself in conjuntion with crowd barriers and found it a great job .about 7 to 8 calves a hutch with 2 barriers(one shared) in front.the whole set up easy to set up and dismantle and barriers a nice height for calves.bedded with wood chip and this year i plan to put wood chip the length of the hutch backfrom it so i can just pull hutch back and stick in an extra barrier as calves grow so that they have more room and a fresh bed in the hutch.i think they are around 550e

Could you post a pic please?

GrasstoMilk

https://youtu.be/Q7SebaYvXiM

Seen this set up a few weeks ago. Very nice job and holds 120 cows.
He already had the hutches from a few years previous but a cross compliance inspection ment he had to change what he was doing

Just hires a bobcat twice a year or so and cleans it out

whelan2

any one use these https://www.donedeal.ie/farmsheds-for-sale/calf-hutches-goat-sheep-lamb-pig-12ft-x-8ft/9099646

K.G.

havent set up yet ,will do in a couple of weeks when up and running

amacca

whelan2 wrote: »

any one use these https://www.donedeal.ie/farmsheds-for-sale/calf-hutches-goat-sheep-lamb-pig-12ft-x-8ft/9099646

For me that size and hassle created cleaning would mean you'd lose one of the advantages of hutches I like.

I like the idea of lifting them up, cleaning and stacking them and then loader and bucket to scoop up all the dung

Mooooo

amacca wrote: »

For me that size and hassle created cleaning would mean you'd lose one of the advantages of hutches I like.

I like the idea of lifting them up, cleaning and stacking them and then loader and bucket to scoop up all the dung

How many are you looking at.? If it's a good few A shed high enough for loader and correct access would just be a case of open/ take down gates and drive in and scoop up, may not cost much more

amacca

Mooooo wrote: »

How many are you looking at.? If it's a good few A shed high enough for loader and correct access would just be a case of open/ take down gates and drive in and scoop up, may not cost much more

Two/maybe three to begin with and batch rear...was hoping the full cost would be much much less than a shed.......I already have a couple of shed projects in the pipeline struggling for financing:D

K.G.

Keepgrowing wrote: »

Could you post a pic please?

As requested.i have changed my strategy with the huthes as the weather was so bad the calves were only leaving the hutch to drink the mikk and going straight back in and they were getting very dirty so iv stopped filling the huthes and will fill the house first and then start filling the hutches again next week.originally the heifers only were going there but now ithnk i might use them for the april calves to give them i fresh start and less desease pressure on them