Calf Barns

[sweetcorn70]

Does anyone have any experience with raising calves in what I would call a "veal barn"? This is a barn with a row of stalls on either side. You feed either side from the center. The calves are on slats and there is an alley scraper underneath to collect the manure. The Heifer facility I mentioned above has a barn like this on the property and while I doubt I'll use it because I would much rather have the calves in huts and fresh air I thought I'd ask. If there is no problem I may use it because it is there but it seems like the crates aren't even big enough for the calves to turn around. What about air quality? It has curtains and fans.

Has anyone ever remodeled such a barn with larger crates? That would have the bonus of letting you feed calves indoors in the winter.




Thanks
Mike

[Matt]

I raised dairy calves in steel crates in an old stanchion barn for a number of years. Worked great until the weather was cold enough to require closing things up. Then respiratory and scours started. In my thinking, if you can keep the wastes outside of where the calves are (ours sat in the gutter-not good) and keep a handle on the air quality, it'll work fine. Never hurts to powerwash and disinfect between residents.

[MattyB]

In my thinking, if you can keep the wastes outside of where the calves are (ours sat in the gutter-not good) and keep a handle on the air quality, it'll work fine. Never hurts to powerwash and disinfect between residents.

I agree. The old school way of thinking was to shut off all drafts and keep the animals inside. Now people are finding that good ventilation is a must even in the coldest weather. Don't get me wrong, a calf, heifer, or cow should be warm in the dead of winter, but make sure the air is clean.

We use hutches and I feel they are the best for housing through weaning. If you have a sick calf there is less risk of infecting another. But, since we now send our calves to a heifer grower at less than a week old we may start keeping the calves in the front of the barn. We can easily monitor the temperature and adjust the curtains for them. Furthermore, I don't like disinfecting hutches for only a weeks use. I don't want to drag the pressure washer out to only clean 1 or 2 huts and I don't want to brush them either. It will be eaiser in the barn to scrape the bedding off, hose it down, and disinfect when dry.

I think you can make the barn work. Be sure that you can disinfect. The fans should help with air quality but if you can open up the sides it should be better.

[francismilker]

One of my dairyman friends tried using his old parlor as a calf raising facility after he built a new milking room and had to jump ship due to pnuemonia and scours. It was state of the art and he was able to keep things exceptionally clean. He just didn't have enough ventilation. I agree with the above posts. Even in the coldest part of winter, keeping them in a hutch pointed to the South is a great idea to prevent chronic sickness from strickening your herd of future replacements.