Calving Pen Alternatives
When it comes to selecting the best type of calving housing, it pays to do your homework and to evaluate some of the latest advancements in the calving housing industry.
Paul Prekup, sales manager at Agri-Comfort, says that when purchasing calving pens and hutches, producers should look for options that are user friendly and provide easy access to feed and/or water, and are easy to move, easy to clean, and easy to ventilate.
“The unit should also offer temperature and air speed control with air vents,” Prekup says. “And you want to be able to control environmental pressures like ventilation and protection from the elements. Simply make the system easy to use, clean and feed. The easier a system is, the better chances for on-farm protocol consistency resulting in healthy calves and a better bottom line.”
Agri-Plastics offers a wide variety of indoor and outdoor calf containment systems. The company is continually adding and improving features of its pens and hutches to satisfy the needs of the modern livestock producer.
Calving pens have certainly evolved in recent years. Compared to previous designs, today’s calving pens are tougher, more durable and more portable, thanks to lighter materials being used in the construction.
They are also more user-friendly and easily expandable, allowing producers the ability to convert single housing into paired housing.
It also helps that many manufacturers of calving housing are farmers themselves, so they understand the nuances of both indoor and outdoor calf housing. For instance, the owners of Agri-Plastics are third-generation dairyman. They build their calving housing units tough because that’s what producers expect. They learn from producers, as they know what it takes to grow healthy/profitable calves. And one thing they have learned is the vital importance venting plays in calving housing.
“All of our vents come standard in our hutches and pens,” Prekup says. “For our outdoor hutches, we include a roof vent, rotary vents in the back, and a rear door which all provide access to clean, fresh air. Our new All-in-1 Rear Door has 82% more air flow capacity. When fully opened, the rear door is now 21”, which make access to rear feeding or bedding easier. Our indoor pens also come standard with side and rear vents.”
Mistakes To Avoid
When selecting and integrating calving housing into operations, producers have a tendency to make some common mistakes. As Prekup explains, some producers put pens up against a solid back wall, but this prevents rear air flow and creates an ammonia build up.
“Some producers permanently anchor penning in a building, which can impact cleaning protocols and could increase biosecurity risks,” Prekup says. “They also purchase housing units that consist of cheaper materials that have a lower cost in the short-term, but have higher replacement costs in the long-term.”
In addition, calves spend the majority of their time chewing hay but some producers don’t consider hay feeders to keep the forage clean and accessible within their pens or hutches.
“Also be sure to properly position calf housing for colder, windier climates. “It helps to have the front door face East or South, and the rear vents facing North or West,” Prekup says. “This position will allow you to better control the air/windspeed that the animal is experiencing. Whether you live in extreme heat or bitter cold, your particular climate will affect which features matter most to you and your calves’ health.” That’s why Agri-Plastics offers hutches with right or left offset doors or full openings to accommodate varying climates.
“We understand that calf housing is never “one size fits all.” What works for a small dairy most likely will not work for a large operation,” Prekup says. “Agri-Plastics offers a variety of options and sizes to make sure producers can find the best fit for their operation.”
Indeed, finding the ideal calving pen is paramount to the success of a calving operation. Arrowquip, for example, produces a calving pen that is built with maximum control and safety in mind – both of which are vital attributes when dealing with animals of all ages. The Arrowquip calving pen is a circular pen featuring a new full-length steel ribbed floor. And for easily accessibility to the calf, this calving pen design offers access to different parts of the animal thanks in part to individual locked doors located on the top and bottom of the pen. In addition, a self-catch head gate allows producers to monitor an animal, which also insuring accessibility in critical situations.
Accessibility is also key to the design of Iron Ranch Manufacturing’s innovative calf shelter. Designed with
a walk-thru door, lifting bar, swinging gate, air vents and sky lights, Iron Ranch’s product is the result of owner Charlie Raml’s thoughtful design renditions after consulting with several veterinarians and industry experts.
The resulting design boasts a walk-thru door that provides easy access to check and treat calves; a swinging gate that closes to catch calves; a front entry that allows evenly distributed air flow for consistent temperature and prevents bacterial growth, and a lifting bar for easy pick-up and relocation. Finally, sky lights help provide lighting and heat
to the unit.
For rearing calves outdoors, VDK Agri offers calf “igloos” that are ideal for calves’ first weeks of life. These hutches, which are made of fiberglass-reinforced polyester, feature unique galvanized, patented fencing which can be opened with one hand. The smooth interior is ideal for easy cleaning and bacteria growth prevention.
The VDK Agri igloos are available in three versions, including a hybrid option which allow for calves to be housed outdoors, up to the age of three months, both individually and in small groups. As the experts at VDK explain, the benefits of a hybrid approach are many, but most importantly the animals are not moved from individual pens to groups. Not only does this save time in not having to move the animals, but it allows the calves to thrive thanks to reducing their stress level.
The flexible layout of the hybrid approach, thanks to removable partitions, also allows for housing both individual and groups of up to four calves per hutch. And the moving flap at the front of the hutch allow a producer to stand upright and provides a
good view of the calves.
For the indoor space, RSI Calf Systems, a division of Riverside Plastics Inc., produces its indoor calf pens from food grade UV-inhibited durable polyethylene. These indoor pens are free standing and are available with either a solid back panel or with ventilation holes. In addition, the design of the RSI indoor calf pens means they can be set up side by side or back to back and additional pens can be added at any time.
