Calving Pen

[Fleckvieh DPB]

this winter we will be calving around 15 cows and heifers.

does anyone have a simple cheap idea of a calving pen.
we have a small barn with waterbowl that we could set it up in.

sizes

just woundering if theres neat idea out there that i could maybey adopt.

the barn would be about 30 foot by 40or 50 feet

thanx
al

 

[CattleAnnie]

When we built our calving barn, we weren't able to put much money into infrastructure in the the way of pens. However, we found that in the long run it's been to our benefit not to have permanent pens, as we can simply open the big doors on the east side and run the tractor with the bucket right in to clean it.

Just before calving time, we set the maternity pen up, and we use steel panels to form individual pens. It leaves a lot of options open to us and has worked well for years. If things ever pick up in the industry, we would like to insulate our barn, but so far we've gotten away without insulation by simply running about twenty to thirty head into it on the nights when it's twenty below or colder. The body heat from the cows seems to keep the building at a reasonable temperature for calving.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'd consider using panels to form calving pens in your barn. They're handy, portable, and of course, can be used in other locations when you're done calving.


Take care.

 

[certherfbeef]

Very, Very good advice Cattle Annie....as usual :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[Dee]

That is what we have in the barn for calving also. Just a couple pens set up incase someone needs to get in on a cold nite, or the new mom needs a little one on one time with her new calf. Put a buscket for feed, and one for water in each pen also. We have one pen with a headgate also, incase the need to assist arises. Just take the panels down and scrape the barn out between moms, set the panels back up, throw in a little straw and your ready for the next round.

 

[SPRINGER FARMS MURRAY GRE]

God Bless Y'all!! I can't imagine having to put the cows into the barn to calve! It just goes to show how much you must love the business! Again, GOD Bless all of you in Canada, Montana and everywhere else it gets that be nice cold! :cboy:

 

[TheBullLady]

lol... I was thinking the same thing! We had a big dairy barn in Illinois we used when we needed to for calving in the winter, but here in Texas, we don't need anything. How wonderful is THAT??

We actually do run the cows that are fixin' to calve up here in the yard, but just so they're closer so we can keep an eye on them. If they have any problems, we just run them out back to the pens and the chute.

 

[hillbilly]

We don't have or need a calving barn [thank goodness]
We do have a 50' x 100' Hay barn that has a 15' x 100' machinery alley
on the south side.
If we get a rash of Feb. calves we sometimes open the East door and let them use part of that alley to get in out of the weather.
It is just an uninsulated metal barn but it feels 20 to 30 degree's warmer
out of the wind.

Hillbilly

 

[SPRINGER FARMS MURRAY GRE]

I have a 40x120 barn where I put hay,equipment,etc.It has a 10 ' shed on each side all the way down that the girls and boys can get under out of the wind and rain if they so desire. :cboy:

 

[TheBullLady]

We have a shed like that as well, but if I have something fixin' to calve, I don't want her under the shed with the others. That's a good way for the calf / cow to get stepped on when she's trying to calve.

 

[SPRINGER FARMS MURRAY GRE]

We have a shed like that as well, but if I have something fixin' to calve, I don't want her under the shed with the others. That's a good way for the calf / cow to get stepped on when she's trying to calve.

The girls that are due to calve I put up in a separate pasture so they can have some privacy, away from the bulls and other cows,usually have 4 - 5 that are about all due at about the same time,that way they have some company,but the pasture is big enough that they can get off to themselves with a good windbreak,plenty to eat,fresh water,etc. :cboy: