to water and back again. Herd size and makeup are guides to estimating the
space needed for resting, but alley size, water space and bunk space must
also be considered to accommodate the animals and provide an animal
friendly environment.
Provide separate areas for resting and feeding. Feeding in resting
areas increases manure accumulation and more bedding is required to keep
animals clean and dry.
Resting space
Adequate resting space for management groups is a key factor in
efficient growth. Required space for different housing alternatives
including bedded resting areas, self-cleaning resting areas (solid, sloped
floors) and freestalls are shown in Tables 3 and 4.
Feeding and watering space
Provide adequate feeding space, so young stock do not have to compete
for feed. Optimum feeding space varies with type of feed, feeding schedule
and animal size, Fig 1 and Tables 5 and 6.
Water is essential at all times. Provide at least one watering space
per 20 animals. Dairy heifers need 1-1,5 gal of water daily per 100 lb body
weight. Select waterers that are easy to clean; protect them from freezing.
Locate waterers on elevated curbs and in a location that allows easy manure
removal around them. Adjust waterer height to allow small animal access.
Handling and treatment facilities
Animal treatment areas are a necessary part of the replacement housing
system. Vaccinations, artificial insemination, pregnancy checking,
deworming, dehorning and examinations are done easily and safely for
animals and workers when animals can be separated and restrained easily.
Equipment that eases labor and saves time in handling animals are:
> Scales.
> Self-locking feed stanchions.
> Gating/fencing.
> Squeeze chute/breeding chute.
Prep room
Locate a work room near calf housing for feed storage, a
refrigerator/freezer, hot water heater, cleaning sink, health records and
supplies. This area can be used to prepare milk replacer and clean feeding
equipment.
Feed and bedding storage
Store bedding and feed in the building or nearby. Reduce daily hauling
and feeding time by storing a one to two weeks supply. Storage space
depends on animal density, feeding frequency and feed availability.
Table 2. Calf and transition housing.
|Housing type |Pen size |
|0—2 months (individual pens) | |
|Calf hutch (plus 4'x6' outdoor run) |4'x8' |
|Bedded pen |4'x7' |
|Tie stall (warm housing only) |2'x4' |
|3-5 months (groups up to 6 head) | |
|Super calf hutch |25-30 ft2/hd |
|Bedded pen |25-30 ft2/hd |
Table 3. Replacement heifer resting area space requirements.
|Age, months |Weight, lb |Self-cleanin|Bedded |Slotted |Paved |
| | |g resting |resting |floor, ft2 |outside lot,|
| | |area[3],ft2 |area[4], ft2| |ft2 |
|0-2[5] |100-190 |Do not use |32 (4'x8' |Do not use |Do not use |
| | | |hutch) | | |
|3-5 |190-350 |Do not use |28(4'x7' |Do not use |Do not use |
|6-8 |350-500 |10 |pen) |12 |35 |
|9-12 |500-650 |12 |28 |13 |40 |
|13-15 |650-800 |15 |25 |17 |45 |
|16-24 |800-1,200 |18[6] |28 |25 |50 |
|Dry cow |> 1,300 |20d |32 |35 |55 |
| | | |40 | | |
| | | |50 | | |
Table 4. Heifer freestall dimensions.
Stall width measured o. c. of 2" pipe stall dividers.
Stall length measured from alley side of curb to front of stall.
|Age, months |Weight, lb |Freestall size |Neck rail |
| | |Width, in |Length, in |Height above|Distance |
| | | | |stall bed, |from back |
| | | | |in |curb, in |
|6-8 |350-500 |30 |60 |28 |46 |
|9-12 |500-650 |33 |64 |30 |49 |
|13-15 |650-800 |37 |72 |34 |57 |
|16-24 |800-1,200 |42 |78 |37 |62 |
|Dry cow |> 1,300 |45 |84 |40 |66 |
Table 5. Suggested dimensions for post and rail feeding fences.
|Age, months |Weight, lb |Throat height, in |Neck rail height, |
| | | |in |
|6-8[7] |360-490 |14 |28 |
|9-12 |490-650 |16 |30 |
|13-15 |650-780 |17 |34 |
|16-24 |780-1,200 |19 |41 |
|Cows |1,200-1,500 |21 |48 |
Table 6. Feed space requirements.
|Type |Age, months |Mature |
| | |cow |
| |3-4 |5-8 |9-12 |13-15 |16-24 | |
| |in/animal |
|Self feeder | | | | | | |
|Hay or silage |4 |4 |5 |6 |6 |6 |
|Mixed ration or grain |12 |12 |15 |18 |18 |18 |
|Once-a-day feeding | | | | | | |
|Hay, silage, or ration |12 |18 |22 |26 |26 |26-30 |
Cold housing
Cold housing is the recommended system for raising replacement animals.
Cold housing building systems provide a dry and draft-free environment in
winter, and wind ventilation and shade in summer. The building is usually
uninsulated and has natural ventilation designed as an integral part of the
building. Indoor temperature follows outside temperature very closely.
Advantages of a cold housing are:
> Less expensive to build.
> Less expensive to ventilate and heat.
> Better disease control.
> During cold weather, disadvantages of a cold housing are:
> Freezing can make manure handling difficult.
> Waterers must be protected from freezing.
> Frostbite of calves ears may be a problem.
> Increased feed required to maintain body heat.
Warm housing
A warm housing system is less desirable for raising replacements.
Typically environmentally controlled systems are improperly managed
resulting in health and growth problems. The buildings are typically
insulated heavily and a controlled mechanical ventilation system delivers
fresh outside air. Properly designed inlets allow fresh outside air to be
evenly distributed throughout the entire structure.
Design mechanical ventilation systems in calf barns to provide minimum
continuous exchange of air, Table 7. Because the number of calves and young
heifers in a facility vary, design mechanical ventilation systems for a
range of stocking rates.
Calf housing (up to weaning)
Calves and young heifers are very susceptible to respiratory illness
and other diseases. Keep calves less than two months old in clean, dry,
draft-free facilities with adequate space, bedding and fresh air. Separate
calves to reduce disease transfer from nose-to-nose contact. Separate calf
groups from older animals to minimize exposure to disease organisms. Keep
calves in individual pens in an enclosed building or individual hutches
until weaning. After weaning they can be moved to small group pens.
Hutches in Cold Housing
Calf hutches have proven to be an excellent way to house calves. Only
one calf occupies each hutch. Typical hutches are 4'x8'x 4'. Fig 2
illustrates plywood construction. Leave one end of the hutch open and
provide a wire fence enclosure so the calf can move outside. Optional
tethers can be used where predators are not a problem. Seal tightly all
other sections of the hutch, except for the front and bottom, to reduce the
wind blowing through the hutch in winter. During summer, the rear of the
hutch can be blocked up 6" to allow for cross ventilation or design an
opening in the rear of the hutch with a tight fitting door.
There are also a variety of prefabricated plastic/fiberglass hutches on
the market. Hutches made of a translucent material require shade in summer.
Summer shade reduces heat stress on all types of hutches. Provide enough
shade to allow hutches to be moved.
Hutch management
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