EB-Foraging Around, Lancaster Farming, Saturday, September 13, 2003 Cold Weather Shelter For Grazing Dairy Cattle Dan F. McFarland Extension Ag Engineer Penn State A few years ago, I worked with some longtime dairy gra ziers to expand their stall bam. Grazing proved very successful for them. Their ex perience indicated that when the cows were on pasture, pro duction increased, animal health improved, and injuries were greatly reduced com pared to when the cows were confined. In order to expand the milking herd they needed more room, so they decided to extend the building, install new stalls, and renovate the existing ones. Along with the stalls, the ventilation system, feeding area, and water sys tem were also improved. Not too long into the cold weather season they noticed that milk production did not drop, ani- armer w Diversify your services. Multiply your profits. Dual hopper api of fertilizer: • Broadcast two products simultaneously. • Broadcast ag lime • Control conveyors independently. • Broadcast fertilizer from 60’ to 84’ GVM » lnc - For more 374 Heidlersburg Rd information .finHJ contact: Biglerville, PA 17307 866-677-4510 • www.gvminc.com mal health remained good, and injuries were minimal. Pasture offers the advan tages of space, fresh air, and a confident footing. These things should not be compro mised in shelter. Our climate allows the opportunity for producers to take advantage of grazing for a significant portion of the calendar year. However, there are times when cows should be protect ed from weather extremes, and pastures protected from cows. Therefore, it is impor tant to develop suitable shelter to protect the herd from weather extremes, maintain good animal health, and not compromise the benefits gained from grazing. Producers are often disap pointed when I explain that the space requirements for seasonal confinement are sim ilar to those for total confine- lemova ment. Space requirements are determined by the cows not the calendar. Overcrowded space and/or uncomfortable stalls will soon lead to dirty conditions and increased inju ries. Loose housing or bedded packs have become a popular alternative for some grazing systems. Approximately 80 to 100 feet of bedded space per cow should be provided. This does not include the area adja cent to the feeding area. Pro ducers find that it is difficult to keep their cows clean when less space is provided. Gener ous amounts of sawdust, shav ings, straw, paper, and/or com fodder are needed to ensure comfort and cleanliness. Naturally ventilated build ings should be oriented to block prevailing winds during cold weather and provide ade quate shade during hot weath er. Side walls should be of adequate height (12 to 14 feet) and have the ability to be opened 75 to 100 percent dur ing warm weather and closed to block cold winds. Gable roof systems should have a ridge opening of 2 to 3 inches per 10 feet of building width. Bank bams converted to bedded pack shelters typically require fans to ensure an ade quate air exchange in the ani mal area. Two or more water stations ithß '®®® s n preader with Hopper. ua conversion: • Broadcast pre-blended fertilizer. • Broadcast fertilizer 60’ to 105’ and lime up to 60’ are required per group. Water access should be convenient, but placed so that cows do not have access while standing on the bedded pack, since the area around waterers can be sloppy. Providing adequate feed space is also important. Producers using TMRs find that 18 inches of bunk space per cow is adequate as long as all cows have enough time to get to the feeding area. If all cows must eat at once, then 27 inches to 30 inches per cow is preferred. When building a new struc ture, consider dimensions that will allow a bedded pack to be easily converted to freestalls (or vice-versa) in the future. Common obstacles to good production and health in stall bams are the stall structure and ventilation. In most cases, stalls can be modified to pro vide adequate space for the cows to recline, rise, and rest comfortablely without striking the stall structure or interfer ing with adjacent cows. Com fort and footing of the stall bed can be improved by add ing more bedding or adding a more resilient surface, like a rubber or water-filled mat tress. Improving the ventilation can be a challenge, but well worth the effort. The impor tance of fresh, dry air cannot be understated. Good air qual ity is one of the main benefits NEW JOHN DEERE EQUIPMENT IN STOCK TRACTORS PLANTING JD 7520, Cab, MFWD JD 1750 6 Row Dry Fert. JD 7320, Cab, MFWD, IVT JD 1750 6 Row Li 0- Feit JD 6420 Cab MFWD JJ? n TT . „„„ „ JD 1590 15 Ft. 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Properly sized, installed and managed fans, inlets, and con trols can provide an excellent air exchange to remove mois ture, gases, dust, and other pollutants during all seasons. Tunnel ventilation is an excel lent hot weather system, but is not suitable for cooler weath er. The rapid air exchange and breeze at lower tempera tures can increase stress on dairy cows. Reducing the ca pacity of a tunnel ventilation system during cooler weather usually results in non-uniform temperatures and air quality in the animal space. Your nose and eyes can be a good monitor of ventilation system performance. If the air quality is undesirable, take the neces sary steps to improve it. Seasonal confinement of dairy cows should not com promise animal health and production. Good shelter de sign and management will provide a dry, comfortable resting area, good ventilation, good access to feed and water, and a confident footing. Don’t let the shelter available to grazing herds during cold (and hot) weather have a neg ative affect on production and profitability. For more information on cow comfort and shelter de sign, contact Dan McFarland at (717) 840-7560. Case IH 8850 SP Wmdrower s+B*loo $36,500 NH 2450 SP Haybme s+£ooo $15,900 ID 935 MoCoflllHl $+2:900 $10,900 JD 1327 MoCo w/Impeller $2,500 JD 260 Disc Mower $3,500 JD 4R Row Crop Head ... .•s+£soo $9,000 JD 4R Row Crop Head $9,000 JDS Ft Hay Head $1,500 Badger 2060 Forage Blower $3,500 NH 320 Baler w/Thrower $2,500 .Coming In ... .$6,500 . $65,900 .Coming In JD 1219 $4,500 (2) JD 4200 3-Bottom Rollover Plow Rhino 3pt Chisel, 8-Shank Bnlhon 14ft. Pulverizer... 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