Nursing Calf Barn C

DESCRIPTION

“All-in, all-out” automated feeder nursery calf barn, segmented into four separate sections. Up to ~20 calves create a group and stay in the room they are started in until they are weaned and moved on to the post-weaning barn at 2 to 3 months of age. Newborn calves are housed for 3 to 7 days in individual pens before being moved to the group. Once a room is full, the individual pens are moved out and disinfected, the gate is opened to give calves the full space available, and newborn calves are placed in the next available room. Each room sits empty for 1 to 2 weeks between groups for cleaning and disinfecting. Calves are fed pasteurized whole milk and milk balancer. This naturally ventilated barn has both winter and warm weather supplemental positive pressure tube ventilation systems because of the close proximity between buildings, limiting wind access into the barns. A sloped concrete floor with a draining ditch down the center of the pens, consisting of a 4″ (10 cm) drain tile below ~18″ (46 cm) of pea gravel, saves about 50% of bedding as compared to flat concrete alone. Sawdust bedding is used during the summer and straw is used during the winter.