Quality living space for calves and heifers
Robert E. Graves, Agricultural Biological Engineering Extension,
Penn State University
A good housing system for calves and heifers will provide for the well-being of animals of various ages, promote safe and efficient working conditions for the caretaker, protect the environment and be cost-effective to build and maintain. The system will provide flexibility to accommodate increasing animal size and age and also variations in the numbers of animals of any size or age resulting from non-uniform calving intervals and ratios of heifers to bulls. Excellent ventilation (fresh, dry air); adequate clean, dry resting space; and clean confident walking areas are important for all growing animals.
Baby calves are usually kept in individual pens or hutches with excellent air quality where they can be individually fed milk and learn to eat solid feed. Hutches and pens are placed so calves can be near, but not in physical contact with, their sisters of similar age but away from possible disease transmission by physical contact with older animals, their manure or contaminated air.
After six to eight weeks of individual care and attention a well-bedded group pen for three to eight animals is a good place for calves to get accustomed to group living by sharing their eating, drinking and resting space. Once successfully weaned and off to a good start these young heifers can be graduated through a series of appropriately sized bedded pack barn groups or moved to freestalls or even pastures with adequate shade, water and supplemental feed. Many growers find freestall barns with varying stall sizes based on the animals’ weight are a cost-effective, animal-friendly and labor-saving method to raise animals from 500 pounds to one month pre-fresh.
Regardless of how the growing animals are housed, the systems should provide:
•clean, dry and comfortable living conditions
•flexibility in grouping to account for variation in calving
•grouping by age, weight or feed ration
•separate resting and feeding areas
•adequate, reachable fresh water
•mechanized feeding and manure removal consistent with farm needs
•easy care by one person
•convenient observation
•methods for animal restraint, examination and treatment PD
References omitted but are available upon request.
—From Penn State Dairy Digest, August 2006
Bob Graves
Agricultural Engineering Extension Specialist
To contact Bob,
e-mail him at reg2@engr.psu.edu
What type of bedding would you recommend for a well-bedded group calf pen?
There is no magic bedding that will assure strong, healthy weaned calves. At this age group, the animal is still pretty immature and will still benefit from good doses of tender loving care. Adequate, appropriate bedding material is an important part of keeping these valuable baby animals clean, dry and comfortable. Usually the same material used for individual calf hutches and pens is a good choice. The group of agricultural engineers here at Penn State University suggests that you not be too frugal with pen space for weaned calves and that you consider the following when selecting and managing bedding for the weaned calf pen:
–Wet or soiled areas of bedding in a weaned calf resting area should be removed at each feeding and replaced with fresh, dry bedding and the pen completely cleaned out between every group of calves. This reduces the build-up of harmful microorganisms and minimizes the exposure of sensitive respiratory systems to ammonia or other harmful gases. Adding bedding to soiled areas and building a bedded pack is not recommended for these young animals.
–Adequate amounts of clean, non-staining bedding material that is removed and replenished regularly aid in keeping calves clean.
–An absorbent material that is dry enough to absorb urine and other liquids will act like a sponge to gather up any liquid that cannot drain away from the resting area. Removal and replacement maintains dry conditions for the calves.
–An adequate layer of bedding provides young, awkward animals a cushion for comfortable confident walking, resting and falling. During cold conditions, the bedding should be thick enough to insulate the calf from the cold floor and allow her to nest down in for increased comfort.
–In cold conditions, a strawlike material maintains some structure for the calf to nest down into while still being absorbent and insulating.
–During fly season it is often good to switch to a more ground material like dry sawdust or shavings that will compress more and be less hospitable for fly breeding and larvae development.
Ultimately, your weaned calf pens should always look like an inviting place to lie down and take a nap after a hard morning’s work and a good lunch.
