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<blockquote data-quote="farmerjan" data-source="post: 1446268" data-attributes="member: 25884"><p>Thank you and your wife for your service. Yes, it sounds like overkill to the average farmer, but the reasoning you have sounds like it is something you have thought out, so good luck. I would think that you will not need to worry so much about the beefalo animals in the weather if they have decent places to get out of the wind. Cattle and even more so buffalo are able to take some pretty cold temps if they can get out of the wind. Having pastures that have good thickets of cedars or other windbreaks will be a big plus, even manmade wind breaks. I am thinking that the barn would be more to house the younger animals during bad weather. If you time your calving for the later spring months, then the housing will not be as critical. Still, I am like you, I would rather they have a place to go in and decide they don't want to, than to have them huddled out in the bad weather and not have anywhere to go. </p><p></p><p>The coating that you are looking at might be good for high traffic areas or heavy use, but will it be good with the kind of acidity that you will be dealing with from cattle manure and urine? If it didn't hold up, there are companies that do grooving in concrete. Most dairies have had walkways and areas of cattle traffic grooved over the years to keep cattle from slipping and splitting from slick concrete. Concrete is hard on the animals joints as well as people. Most confinement dairies have shorter lifespans in their cattle than those that are off concrete.</p><p></p><p>i don't think heated floors for cattle are necessary, or even good. Good deep bedding would make the transition from inside to outside weather easier. If they are kept too "comfortable" then they will be less hardy when they do go outside in the wintertime. An area with a heated floor will make it easier on the humans, and for say baby pigs and such, a help in the winter months but you don't want to lose the inherent hardiness of the livestock.</p><p></p><p>Concrete buildings tend to be damp. Have worked in some hog barns that were all concrete/cinder block, except for the roof and they were cold in the winter. What about the animals respiration and all the moisture that cattle create through breathing/ exhaling/chewing their cuds etc.? Damp conditions will kill quicker than the cold.</p><p></p><p>Air flow will be critical in a concrete barn so that the animals do not get sick. Ventilation is very important to also keep any respiratory problems in hand.</p><p></p><p>Not trying to be critical, just some thoughts. Concrete does make it easier to clean the floors and to sanitize, but doesn't lend itsself to easy drying out if the whole thing is concrete, without real good air flow.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="farmerjan, post: 1446268, member: 25884"] Thank you and your wife for your service. Yes, it sounds like overkill to the average farmer, but the reasoning you have sounds like it is something you have thought out, so good luck. I would think that you will not need to worry so much about the beefalo animals in the weather if they have decent places to get out of the wind. Cattle and even more so buffalo are able to take some pretty cold temps if they can get out of the wind. Having pastures that have good thickets of cedars or other windbreaks will be a big plus, even manmade wind breaks. I am thinking that the barn would be more to house the younger animals during bad weather. If you time your calving for the later spring months, then the housing will not be as critical. Still, I am like you, I would rather they have a place to go in and decide they don't want to, than to have them huddled out in the bad weather and not have anywhere to go. The coating that you are looking at might be good for high traffic areas or heavy use, but will it be good with the kind of acidity that you will be dealing with from cattle manure and urine? If it didn't hold up, there are companies that do grooving in concrete. Most dairies have had walkways and areas of cattle traffic grooved over the years to keep cattle from slipping and splitting from slick concrete. Concrete is hard on the animals joints as well as people. Most confinement dairies have shorter lifespans in their cattle than those that are off concrete. i don't think heated floors for cattle are necessary, or even good. Good deep bedding would make the transition from inside to outside weather easier. If they are kept too "comfortable" then they will be less hardy when they do go outside in the wintertime. An area with a heated floor will make it easier on the humans, and for say baby pigs and such, a help in the winter months but you don't want to lose the inherent hardiness of the livestock. Concrete buildings tend to be damp. Have worked in some hog barns that were all concrete/cinder block, except for the roof and they were cold in the winter. What about the animals respiration and all the moisture that cattle create through breathing/ exhaling/chewing their cuds etc.? Damp conditions will kill quicker than the cold. Air flow will be critical in a concrete barn so that the animals do not get sick. Ventilation is very important to also keep any respiratory problems in hand. Not trying to be critical, just some thoughts. Concrete does make it easier to clean the floors and to sanitize, but doesn't lend itsself to easy drying out if the whole thing is concrete, without real good air flow. [/QUOTE]
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