New calf shed

mengele

Sick of my current calf shed set up as it requires a lot of donkey work cleaning out as the roof is too low and tractor won't go in.

Looking at an a roof 63ft x 40ft shed. Pens going the middle either side and a passage way in the middle to drive down with a straw blower and be able to bed. I'm thinking of having two double sliding doors on both 40ft sides so that I can drive in one way go out the other way turn around and come back.

Will going 16ft to the revs matter much to the calves? This would allow me stack straw if I wanted 4 bales high in the harvest time. This straw will then be moved to an indoor silage pit in December when the silage is normally gone out of it.

I'm thinking of vented sheeting at the sides or is this too draughty for calves.

Please critique this idea and the suitability for calves.

mengele

Should have said this is my plan to do this summer/autumn

Mr..

Try and leave it that u can put a sheet of ply over the pens to leave a "cosy" spot for the calves.

funkey_monkey

I think @Mr.. is talking about somethin like this. I've seen a video of one where they were controlled by ratchets to raise and lower them. Seemed like a good job.

https://www.agriland.ie/farming-news/providing-the-perfect-environment-for-calves-in-co-kilkenny/

TBH - there are a multitude of videos on YouTube covering this topic. From them you should be able to guide yourself to a design keeping within the design parameters that are stated in the videos.

This one seems to deal specifically with draughts and winds:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dADw-D8lg_Y

Jimmy_KK

Hi All,

I was wondering if anyone ever tried spreading dung with a straw blower.

I would have thought if they can blow a bale of silage it may be possible.

Thanks.

Wildsurfer

Ah Jimmy, seriously now...

White Clover

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121026188#Comment_121026188

A straw blower will blow straw only. There are some machines on the market that will blow straw and drop silage out of a spout but asking one to spread dung is a bit much now to be fair! A dung spreader would be a better machine for that job!