Making cattle sheds winter-proof

Source: landwirt.com 

The days are getting shorter, the temperatures are getting lower. The cold season is upon us. Now it's time to winterize your cattle barn!

Offer enough water

Frost protection is paramount when it comes to water supplies. In constantly occupied barns, this is usually not an issue. But what about sick stalls or temporary alternative stalls? Their services may also be needed in winter, so it pays to be well prepared. Options range from heated and insulated drinking troughs to pipe heating. The fact is that cattle often drink more from temperate water. The daily water requirement per cow depends on performance and is between 80 and 100 liters in winter. The impeccable cleanliness of the drinking troughs is a prerequisite.

Provide sufficient light

The following basic rule applies to lighting in cattle barns (exercise, resting, and feeding areas): If you can easily read a newspaper, the lighting is sufficient. If this isn't the case, simple measures can improve the situation. Whitewash the barn regularly in the fall and clean fluorescent tubes and windows. This allows you to make optimal use of daylight. Installing additional light sources, such as an LED spotlight to illuminate the feeding area, will have a positive effect on the barn climate. However, a continuous dark phase (with at most dim lighting) of six to eight hours per day is necessary.

Avoid drafts

Drafts are cattle's enemy. Get down to eye level with the animals. Young cattle are exposed to different stresses than cows. Designing a barn to be draft-free does not mean sealing it off. Air exchange must occur four times an hour, even in winter, to ensure air quality and humidity. Smoke bombs can be valuable in detecting draft sources. For calves, low humidity is recommended to reduce bacterial pressure (35-50% to <15°C). For adult cattle, 35-70% relative humidity is recommended.

If the barn lacks fans, skylights, or curtains, draft-free barn door sides should be opened. Even intermittent ventilation throughout the day promotes air exchange. Cattle can best tolerate drafts in the feeding area, so open the feed table entrance. DIY versions, in which a ventilation slot the width of the door is cut out at the bottom of the barn door, have also proven effective. It is important with all of these measures that the cold incoming air can warm up and slow down before it reaches the animal. The ideal temperature range for calves is between +4 and +20°C. Dairy cows perform best at temperatures of -15 to +20°C.

You can find all products on this topic here: Animal husbandry!