Purpose build calf shed & new crush

lakill Farm · 11-10-2011 12:58PM #1

Hi All.

I am planning on building a new cattle crush to handle up to and including hefers of approx 450kg, mostly dosing, injecting and vet. Can you suggest what i should include in the crush, Ie the semi automatic gate. Will i build a step the full lenght approx 16 inch high? install a scales? are headscopes any good?

Also in the plan i want to build a calf shed ( I want to be able to buy 20/24 calves and divide them into 4 pens. What size of a pen would i need for say 6/8 calves? should each pen have access directly outside? what height should the walls be, and the gap to the roof. Be aware im on a budget, but wount cut corners. Ill be building myself. Could i build a block shed and put in pens inside? It will be a concrete floor

The calf shed will be parrallell to my slatted shed and in between ill be putting in the crush :cool:

All suggestions are welcome

11-10-2011 02:59PM

dont build a solid concrete catwalk.
wont be much fun if an animal goes down and you have to drag her the length of the crush to get her out. not fun for man or beast.

why would you include a headscope for young stock?
I can see the point for cows alright were the cost of injectables are significant for adult animals. course if you have one it would be worth including a socket in the concrete to move it between crushes when required.

depends what scale you are on if a weigher is justified. they are quite expensive. be worth sharing between 3/4 neighbouring farms. (assuming washed and disinfected before transporting)

an automatic anti backing device fitted to the back of the chute would be nice touch. personally dont like the noise of the connaught agri butterfly one. mixed reports about them so important to get your layout right.

have a blocking gate for between the 1st and second animal so you can access the rear of the first animal and prevent the 2nd animal squashing you.

most important thing is to get your layout right.
there was a thread up here lately about chutes and curved races. do a search for bud box... was certainly and interesting concept and seemed to work well.

lakill Farm · 14-10-2011 12:42PM

hi 49801, thanks for the ideas, especially the blocking gate between animal no 1 and no 2 .

I had planned on building the second shed approx 17ft from the back of the slatted shed. so approx a 3 ft crush, 4 ft farmer walk, and 10 foot pen area. I explained badly the first time.

hese head scopes were all the rage at the ploughing but nothing like a bit of a hot head and skint knuckle to made a cow take u serious.

So on a crush what

width should it be (Max 450kg heifers)
height should the top bar be?

Whats the best semi auto crush gate?

are the anti backing bars good? nothing works like an old loader tine

Should i incorporate a footbath on like a section or indeed a designated area for weight scales?

lakill Farm · 09-11-2011 11:40AM

Ok lads. I rear 20/24 calves a rear as an expensive hobby. Im going to build a kit shed of a stand alone "lean to" to rear calves in. the size is 47 x 20 ft with sheeting down 6ft. I was going to build 3 pens inside with tubular steel and block up the walls to meet the sheeting on the low end and 3 ends, and leave vetilation on the front, between the 5ft wall and 6ft sheet coming down.

Any suggestions or recommendations?

JohnBoy · 09-11-2011 01:21PM

no clue here, but there's some interesting threads on BFF re calf housing and a number of people make hutches using big square straw bales and swear by them.

not sure how hutches work under nitrates in ireland, but an interesting and cheap concept I thought.

lakill Farm · 09-11-2011 01:24PM

Thanks johnboy.

The 47x20 shed is €3100 net. (kit form)
Blocks approx €500
Cement and sand €400
Misc €300
Steel for pens €600
Labour € 300 and some Tae

For 5k the sheds there for life

JohnBoy · 09-11-2011 01:37PM

concrete for the slab?

how are you managing runoff, you'll need a drain to collect anything the straw doesnt soak up which will have to be piped to a slurry tank for spreading.

doesnt matter whether the straw soaks everything or not afaik. get that one clarified by an adviser though.

bbam · 09-11-2011 01:48PM

Slope on floor of calf pens... 1:6 I'd say would keep bedding much drier..

Definitely look at catching runoff from pens, tank etc..

Tractor access for cleaning out pens?? It mightn't be much dung but you should be able to clean pens easily so it can be done frequently..

Access to outside is great, one of ours accesses an open yard which is great at weaning time and for training to electric fence before releasing them to the countryside :rolleyes:

We have some older sheds that they can access from their first field, handy for calves just out.. they quickly learn to lie in at night..

I was in an old style farm pig shed last spring and the walls were ~3ft high, looked ideal but the pens were a bit small..

lakill Farm · 09-11-2011 01:57PM

thank you for those suggestions.

I had forgot about run off. I tought that keeping them clean bedded with straw would be the job. Silly me. I do do advisors, this place has all the knowledge i need.

What size of a pen would i need for 8 calves?

Are you saying to build the pen walls rom concrete blocks?

09-11-2011 06:17PM

Runoff - try get the floor higher than and sloping to the adjoining slats, that way you can get it to run in there.

Step - as said before no need and only something else for you to fall off.

Access - If you have the crush at the back of the calf house running from the second span to the outside then can use the crush to move calves between pens, i.e. use opening barriers in the crush. You can also use the shed as a general handling area for other stock if needed.

Build the crush about 2'6" out from the back wall so you have access each side of the animals.

Footbath - was a disaster for us, we ended up filling it in. One animal steps into it and is then lower than the one coming behind who mounts her. Potential here for the one mounting to end up with one half out over the side of the crush.

Purpose built IAM or Nugent crate with headgate is indispensable. The rumpbar thingy is brilliant. When they walk up to the end you drop that down behind them then close the neck squeezer you have great control and a lot safer too. A superscoop is something we don't have but is on the wishlist.

Weigher - have one of those trays you lay in the race. Its too wide to put into the crate at the headgate which is a pity but its handy enough. Heavy enough to move around though.

Height - don't know for sure around 5 foot - standard width too. Minimize the number of vertical bars on barriers and you minimize the risk of a broken arm!

Bizzum · 09-11-2011 07:12PM

If I was doing it all again, I'd read as much as I could by Temple Grandin.

Eg.

http://www.grandin.com/references/new.corral.html

Have a root via Google!

On general animal behaviour:

Two interesting books by her are "ANIMALS IN TRANSLATION" and "ANIMALS MAKE US HUMAN".
Every keeper of animals should read these. Farmers in general know much more than they think they know from observing behaviour day in day out!:)

bbam · 09-11-2011 07:47PM

lakill Farm wrote: »

.

What size of a pen would i need for 8 calves?

Are you saying to build the pen walls rom concrete blocks?

We have pens for 8-10 calves, I suppose about 35sq meters, works well but wouldn't go any smaller..

Not sure about concrete walls... If you could do modular divisions that could be lifted/moved.. We use 14ft gates hung opposite that overlap, can be removed from hangers to leave an open shed again.. Shed wasn't purpose built, its an old cubicle shed..

moll3 · 09-11-2011 08:49PM

bbam wrote: »

We have pens for 8-10 calves, I suppose about 35sq meters, works well but wouldn't go any smaller..

sounds big to me
i have 13'x8' pens up to weaning

farmerka · 11-11-2011 01:42PM

for sure you know but think about vented wall panels it will be extra cost but ventilation is very important

kildarejoe1 · 07-12-2011 11:46PM

@lakill_farm,

Could I ask where you got the price for the 47ft shed?looking to build the same..
Thanks.

The 47x20 shed is €3100 net. (kit form)
Blocks approx €500
Cement and sand €400
Misc €300
Steel for pens €600
Labour € 300 and some Tae

For 5k the sheds there for life

Purpose build calf shed & new crush

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