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| We calve around 900 cows in March and April in sw Manitoba. We use a combination of pens in open front sheds and two calving barns with 12x12 pens on the side and open area in the middle. The system works fairly well, but multi day snow/rain events or extended cold stretches (-25 c) create a bottleneck. Running out of pens means crowded barns/sheds which creates a lot of extra work.
Thinking of adding on or renovating both of our existing barns to provide the extra capacity needed when the weather goes bad for extended periods. Barn one is 54x96x12. Has 10 12x12 pens, 2 maternity pens & small insulated area with room for 3 pairs. Barn two is 40x80x15. Has 6 12x12 pens and 2 maternity pens. Alternatively, we might look at a new building but not currently in the plan or budget.
Switching to may/june calving is not an option so look forward to your ideas on barn design. | |
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Calving Barn Ideas
