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NorthernMonkeyGirl
Joined: 10 Apr 2011
Posts: 1907
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 Posted: Sat Jun 09, 12 8:36 pm Post subject: |
 
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Sure, I'm just throwing questions out to make you think  And to make myself think too!
I'm not sure what the point of a cubicle is then, if they are free to go in and out, I haven't seen a cow choose to be on her own like that? |
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dolmen
Joined: 07 Oct 2011
Posts: 108
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| Posted: Sat Jun 09, 12 8:50 pm Post subject: |
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Thats ok ... I was hoping to learn from this thread too ... If it comes to pass, I'm only going to get one chance to get it nearly right lol.
I thought there was more folks keeping cattle on this forum, perhaps I should start a similar thread on goat housing, which may prove to be more suitable to my planned 6'ish acres.
Cheers |
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alison
Downsizer Moderator
Joined: 29 Oct 2004
Posts: 11764
Location: North Devon
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| Posted: Sat Jun 09, 12 9:27 pm Post subject: |
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We keep cows like Rob does. Dexters, out all year, rotated round. Totally grass fed. They come in for 5 days a year, for the TB test, and we keep them in for both tests, then send them out again for another year. |
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Rob R
Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 26500
Location: York
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| Posted: Sat Jun 09, 12 10:26 pm Post subject: |
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| dolmen wrote: |
Sounds like a good book Rob, but I can see big issues there with dirty water, I know what its like in the winter here and I would not like that problem. |
It made me wonder who ever thought it was a good idea - fair enough if the cows are outside, feed them outside, but a shed just for the feed passage?
| dolmen wrote: |
Have you heard of the 'orkney sloping floor'? I think with some tweeking it could be made to work well.
Cheers |
No, but that may be more the definition than the technique that I'm not familiar with? |
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crofter
Joined: 11 Feb 2007
Posts: 1843
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| Posted: Sat Jun 09, 12 10:29 pm Post subject: |
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| Rob R wrote: |
| Ventilation, as with all animals, is the most important thingfor animal health and most byres don't have any. |
My byres all have 2 doors. Sometimes it is so windy that I have to close them both... |
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Rob R
Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 26500
Location: York
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| Posted: Sat Jun 09, 12 10:32 pm Post subject: |
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I'm guessing you never have any pneumonia in that case. |
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crofter
Joined: 11 Feb 2007
Posts: 1843
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| Posted: Sat Jun 09, 12 10:38 pm Post subject: |
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No, never, but to be fair, one shed has some roof ventilation and another has vents in the walls. I would think you could put up a shed with an open ridge a lot cheaper than a roundhouse? Re; Orkney floors - they have never appealed to me, I am scraping and shovelling every day - it's good exercise. |
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crofter
Joined: 11 Feb 2007
Posts: 1843
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Rob R
Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 26500
Location: York
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| Posted: Sat Jun 09, 12 10:45 pm Post subject: |
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Roundhouses cost 25% more, but then again they require 35% of the labour, but yes, as long as you don't clad the sides top to bottom, you can have something nearly as good as a roundhouse (in terms of ventilation) for a fraction of the price. |
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Ty Gwyn
Joined: 22 Sep 2010
Posts: 2000
Location: Lampeter
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| Posted: Sat Jun 09, 12 11:31 pm Post subject: |
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[quote="Rob R:1258757"]
| dolmen wrote: |
Sounds like a good book Rob, but I can see big issues there with dirty water, I know what its like in the winter here and I would not like that problem. |
It made me wonder who ever thought it was a good idea - fair enough if the cows are outside, feed them outside, but a shed just for the feed passage?
I d say that is a clamp ,possibly brewers grains/sugerbeet pulp,hence the roof,they look like dairy cattle. |
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Ty Gwyn
Joined: 22 Sep 2010
Posts: 2000
Location: Lampeter
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| Posted: Sat Jun 09, 12 11:55 pm Post subject: |
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One point to remember is,most byres/cowsheds were up dated,when the MMB came to fruition,no low lofts ,walls had to be plastered 5ft upwards,and vents in walls,i have 3 here,one from the 1700s,used to be the stable cart house,converted to milking,still with loft,2 doors,one from the 1890s,loft removed,wall vents where loft rafters were,2 doors,and a concrete block one built in the 60/70s,light and airy,no problem with virus pneumonia,some calving pens ,i had to ventilate due to a virus problem,other sheds are open fronted.
Personally i like the old cowshed system,yes ,its labour intensive ,in that you have to clean out daily,and take feed into the feed passages,but cattle that are tied in a cowshed are a dodle to handle,even Lims.
Where are you Dolmen? |
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Rob R
Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 26500
Location: York
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| Posted: Sun Jun 10, 12 12:05 am Post subject: |
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[quote="Ty Gwyn:1258771"]
| Rob R wrote: |
| dolmen wrote: |
Sounds like a good book Rob, but I can see big issues there with dirty water, I know what its like in the winter here and I would not like that problem. |
It made me wonder who ever thought it was a good idea - fair enough if the cows are outside, feed them outside, but a shed just for the feed passage?
I d say that is a clamp ,possibly brewers grains/sugerbeet pulp,hence the roof,they look like dairy cattle. |
You could be right there - sadly it had no explanation in the book, which I thought was odd in itself. |
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dolmen
Joined: 07 Oct 2011
Posts: 108
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| Posted: Sun Jun 10, 12 11:11 am Post subject: |
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I'd seen that video before Crofter, I felt the system needed a little tweeking to have it working better ... at the very least a yard to run the cattle into while room for a tractor along the back would have left it easy to scrape each day.
Ty Gwyn I agree about cows tied in the byre, but always feel I'm leaving myself open to attack by saying so ... the problem being that it is open to abuse, in that some folks might not let the animals have enough free time to move around and keep natural herd instincts intact, but from my research cows always seemed to be very healthy and content under those conditions. I'm in Northern Ireland. |
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dolmen
Joined: 07 Oct 2011
Posts: 108
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| Posted: Sun Jun 10, 12 11:20 am Post subject: |
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| alison wrote: |
| We keep cows like Rob does. Dexters, out all year, rotated round. Totally grass fed. They come in for 5 days a year, for the TB test, and we keep them in for both tests, then send them out again for another year. |
Sorry I missed commenting on your post, I've considered the Dexter, I don't know of any local to me or I'd go have a closer look. I was surprised at the short leg x short leg problems as previously I always thought all Dexters had short legs. I do like the red ones and may go in that direction as I do plan on grass fed beef and they tick many boxes. I think that in our heavy ground that even small animals would ruin any grazing if left out over the winter? |
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Rob R
Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 26500
Location: York
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| Posted: Sun Jun 10, 12 11:46 am Post subject: |
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The trick is to move them often, preferably daily, to avoid poaching. We graze until the grass runs out, which was February this year (although some came in before Christmas as they were on 'conservation' grazing. |
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