3-sided calf shed

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Here is our first attempt at building anything wooden framed:

Completed:

Calves really love it:

Mom peeking around the corner - wishing she could get in!

 

[MO_cows]

Looks good and sturdy. Are the posts set in concrete?

I don't know how bad the wind gusts get in your neck of the woods, but speaking as someone who has re-built a similar shed 3 times now, I hope you used screws and not nails, especially for your tin. And the addition of "hurricane clips" installed with wood screws, attaching the runners to the rafters and also the rafters to the main structure, will keep your roof on. That little gap along the back will "relieve" most wind, but a really strong wind from the open side can generate enough "lift" to take the whole roof off. Trust me! Once our roof totally disappeared in a storm. (It was found years later during a dry summer when the water in the neighbor's pond got low.)

 

[hillsdown]

How do you keep the cows out, from the pics it looks like the roof is very high and the cows can get in as well.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

The tin is screwed on! This is built on 4x6 pressure treated beams - so it "could" be moved ----- hopefully NOT by the wind. I do know what you mean about the wind. It is facing South.
Hillsdown, if you look real close just below the "knees" of the red cow, you should see a white line. That is polywire, high enough for the calves to zip under it but cows respect it. We are planning on putting hightensile wire, because occasionally, the calves get zipping in & out so quickly - they forget to "duck" - and, yes, it doesn't take long for a cow or two -- or three :shock: to get into the shed.
This was a plan we got off the internet. We plan on making another one this summer. (summer will be a LOT better than hi of 15, first weekend we put up the frame. And gusting blowing snow when we put up the roof!!!). I think we will make the roof lower - although hubby likes to be able to stand in all of it & he's over 6'. Front is 8', back is 6'. We purchased used tin - got enought to do sides & roof for $100.

 

[jerry27150]

looks great jeanne

 

[nagwag]

Jeanne - your calves look great. :clap: I'm expecting my first calves from our heifers that we put through the Empire Heifer Development program any day now. Of course they will wait for the rain this weekend. Would you still have the web site that you got your plan from. I would like to build a shed like yours myself. Thanks.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Jeanne - your calves look great. :clap: I'm expecting my first calves from our heifers that we put through the Empire Heifer Development program any day now. Of course they will wait for the rain this weekend. Would you still have the web site that you got your plan from. I would like to build a shed like yours myself. Thanks.

Here's the site:
http://www.ag.ndsu.nodak.edu/abeng/plans/6065.pdf
It gives you the list of materials needed - BUT - there are no instructions, and for Ken & I that was challenging!!! We had our Amish neighbors cut the lumber we needed. The pressure treated skids were the most expensive part of the whole building. Probably won't use skids for next one.

 

[hillsdown]

I thought I saw something there. The other thing you could do is place a board (s) with hinges and a latch so that when you need to clean the shelter you just open it up and the skid steer or tractor can get in it to clean it out or if you need to give bedding as well. It might work better than using hot wire and the calves won't get zapped when they scoot in and out, but it will keep moms out.

Great job though and I am sure your babies are grateful for all of your hard work..

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Hillsd - I appreciate that info, but we have never used the board method - because the cows stand as close to their calves as they can get - making a deep mud mess all the way around the shed & they can RUB on the shed. This way, there is a great "buffer zone" all the way around the shed and the calves can run & play or lay down outside if they want - no MUD (now that we're in MUD, that's important to us - wasn't a big deal while we were in snow - but we always KNOW the mud is coming & it's here now!).
Calves rarely get zapped. We keep the wire high enough for the newborns, and as they grow, they learn to duck (unless they are zipping around so fast they forget!) that's why we are going to put up hitensile - it won't break when run into.

 

[rkm]

Jeanne, sure would have been nice to had a shed like yours last night. 60 mph winds with a mix of snow and rain. Hard night for our baby calves. We never had any problems, but I was worried.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Yup, that's a perfect time for a shed.
I was asked about the gap in the back. We purposely leave the rafter area open for ventilation. COLD is not a problem. The shed is for a windbreak, and a dry play to lay down when it's 35-45 F rain, and when there's mud everywhere.
Also, we have another shed, about 12 x 12 in this field for the calves. But, our numbers have been increasing & the shed was getting too crowded. The calves could fit in it to lay down, but they would drag their mud covered legs against one another, and withing a day of mud season, the calves would have mud on their sides & back. Not a healthy situation. We've only just begun our mud season (about 1 week), but the calves look awesome - all fluffy & clean. Hope it stays that way.

 

[piedmont ridge llc]

Hey Jeanne great looking calves, I set up a similar set up for my spring calving group, but i can t get the calves to use it every morning i find them outside with mamma, whats your secret?

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

No secret. They pretty much find it by themselves. If I put out a newborn & weather is nasty, I let it "suffer" for a few hours, then I "tuck it" into the shed. By then, they seem pretty happy to get inside. If weather is nice, doesn't work. Once a group of them find it, the "newbies" eventually follow them in. Having the large "buffer zone" around the shed helps a bunch, because there's no mud for them to have to "wollow" thru (at least now - with the snow gone). We're knee deep in mud around feeders & heavy traffic areas. Calves are REALLY enjoying their "buffer zone". :banana:

 

[Santas and Duhram Reds]

any reason why some of them have red tags and others have yellow tags

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

any reason why some of them have red tags and others have yellow tags

YES - the males are tagged with yellow tags in their right ear --- females have RED tags in their left ear. Been using that system for many years. When visitors come out, they can see from a distance which are which, and it makes sorting real easy. And of course, our farm colors are RED & YELLOW!!! :banana:

 

[Roadapple]

With a beam running along the bottom in front, how do you clean it? Skid loader or by hand?

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

That's a good question - it'll be mostly by hand. Our bucket will fit thru the openings & can scrape some of it - but not much.

 

[rockridgecattle]

our sheds are simillar. The are not as tall, and the bottom boards on the front and back are the runners so we can move the shelters anywhere. There are also hooks and cable attached to the runners to be hooked up to the tractor at any time.
This gives us the ability to move the calves as needed to fresh ground. As well, if there is a scour outbreak, we can move the cattle as needed.

Our only problem is the wind. There have been some real strong winds that have turned the shelter on it's side or upside down. One year we could not keep them up right. I think hubby solved that problem for now. And when they are not in use, they are placed open ends facing each other.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

RR - ours is also on runners and can be moved - I failed to mention that.

 

[rockridgecattle]

then no problem cleaning it out...just move it...lol