Low Cost Facilities
• The Entire system
– Designed for 20 cows
– Materials
-Railroad ties
-Cattle Panels
-pine slab wood
-2x12’s
-2x10’s
Total Cost ==$325
LOW COST FACILITIES
• Head Gate
– Made of Wood
– Stanchion design
– Swings Open to
Release cattle
– Cost $25
– Good for small herds
– In use for 4 years
LOW COST FACILITIES
• Corral
–
–
–
–
–
Use barn as one side
Holding area
Opens to chute area
Gate swings to crowd
Solid gate avoids being
kicked
Low Cost Facilities
• Crowding Area
– Gate swings in
– Using barn as wall
– Sides are lined with
wood, 1 inch pine
– Cattle Panels provide
strength
Low Cost Facilities
• Cows Eye View
– Area Narrows to chute
– Solid wall and fence
– Cows move forward to
opening
Low Cost Facilities
• Cows Eye View
– Wall made of Cattle
Panels
– Lined with trimmed
slab lumber-no true
dimensions
– 6’ high fence
– Gaps allow some air
movement to prevent
snow buildup and
prevent overheating
Wintering Needs
• Windbreaks Provide Protection from Winter
Winds
• Important for Young Animals
• Important for Cows Nursing
• Reduce wind speed and lower the wind chill
• Reduce feed needs
• Reduce noise and livestock odor
Wintering Needs
• Critical temperature
– Coat Description
•
•
•
•
Summer or Wet
Fall coat
Winter Coat
Heavy Winter Coat
Critical Temperature
59 Degrees
45 Degrees
32 Degrees
18 Degrees
Wintering Heifers
• Feedlot Design with Windbreak (750 lb)
– Lot area paved-45 square feet/head
– Earth lot-250 square feet/head
– Bedded Mound Area-30 square feet/head
Wind Chill Chart
Wintering Needs
• Feedlot with Shed for 750 lb heifers
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–
–
–
Paved outside lot area-45 square feet/head
Earth outside lot area-250 square feet/head
Shed area-20 square feet/head
Shed minimum clearance height-10 feet
Wintering Heifers
• Windbreaks Provide Protection from Winter
Winds
• Important for Young Animals
• Important for Dairy Breeds
•
Wintering Heifers
• Windbreaks Provide Protection from Winter
Winds
• Important for Young Animals
• Important for Dairy Breeds
• Reduce wind speed and lower the wind chill
Round Bales Make Excellent
Windbreaks
Wintering Needs
• Increased Maintenance Energy Requirements
– For heifers in winter coat each degree below critical
temperature requires 1.2% increase per degree
– For heifer in heavy winter coat each degree below
critical temperature requires 0.7% increase per degree
Wintering Needs
• Dec 11th the temperature was zero degrees
with a 30 mph wind so the wind chill was –
49 degrees
This is 57 degree below critical temperature
(49+18) for heifer in heavy winter coat we
need to increase energy for Maintenance by
40% (57 x .7=39.9)
Constructed Windbreak
Multiple Pens off Crowding
Alley
Wooden Head gate
Self Catching Head gates
Wintering Heifers
• When calculating windbreak protection use
10X the height of the wind break to
determine areas of excellent wind
protection
– 30 foot high trees – 300 feet of protection
– 10 foot high fence – 100 feet of protection
Economy Model
Crowding Alley with Adequate
Length
Corral
Cadillac Version