Housing Cattle
With cattle being housed for large portions of the year, it is essential that the
buildings are working correctly and not affecting the health and therefore
profitability of your herd.
Maintenance Make sure that your buildings are in full working order! Problems are
much easier to sort out before the cattle are brought in. Gates, feeding troughs,
water supplies should all be checked and repaired/changed as necessary.
Ventilation is vital to prevent pneumonia and allow cattle to achieve good liveweight gains and maximum productivity. Infectious agents thrive in wet, still air and
can quickly cause major problems within a group. Air outlets are vital to create a
suitable environment for cattle and may be overlooked. Without appropriate outlets
at the top of a shed, the warm air containing bacteria and viruses cannot escape,
allowing a build up of bugs. Quick way to check, look up. If you see lots of cobwebs,
ventilation needs to be addressed. Majority of farm buildings do not have adequate
ventilation in the roof and hot air has nowhere to escape.
Wind speed is important, especially when rearing young calves. Drafts should be
avoided at all cost. Even a low wind speed will reduce both ambient and body
temperatures. The smaller the calf, the greater the effect. The colder the ambient
temperature, the more energy a growing animal will use to maintain its body
temperature - energy that would otherwise be used for growth, and by the immune
system to fight infection.
Moisture is a major contributory factor in pneumonia outbreaks. Bacteria and
viruses survive longer in wet conditions than in dry. Also, animals will cool more
rapidly in wet conditions. Regular bedding changes and good ventilation to remove
excess moisture produced by the cattle helps keep conditions right for optimal
performance.
Improvements
Each building is different; therefore there is no perfect formula for each farm. Small
changes can make a big difference. Here a just a few to think about.
More frequent bedding changes - Mucking out and replacing bedding is vital to
ensure an optimal environment for your cattle. Removing wet cold bedding reduces
moisture and the number of infectious agents in the environment as previously
mentioned. Not only this, providing dry bedding enhances comfort, increasing the
time cattle spend cudding, therefore maximising energy conversion.
Stocking numbers - Making sure that there is adequate space (including trough
space), allows increased comfort and will further reduce levels of bacteria and
viruses within the air space. Disease will spread much more readily in sheds where
animals are overstocked.
Improving ventilation - Poor ventilation can be one of the main factors responsible
for severe pneumonia outbreaks. Improving airflow is best achieved by opening up
ridges. Moisture entering due to rainfall is usually negligible compared to that
produced by the animals themselves. Such work may seem expensive but will usually
prove cost-effective if done correctly.
Reducing Wind Speed – A few techniques can help reduce higher wind speeds, such
as wind breakers or trees, can stop the reduction of the ambient air temperature for
calves.