Elevated Calf Stalls

TessiersFarm · #1 01/09/11, 07:51 PM

Anyone raise calfs in elevated calf stalls. I raise half a dozen dairy bulls for beef each year and I have always used a spare box stall. A couple of years ago we lost a couple of calfs and when the vet came she suggested seperating them. This year I do not have an extra stall and I am going to try elevated tie stalls. I was wondering what others think. The first bull comes tomorrow so I am kinda commited at this point.

myersfarm · #2 01/09/11, 08:11 PM

I raise dairy heifers have 80 on milk right now....And I fell no matter what YOU do you will lose calfs

but you also need to do what you feel will keep them alive

I have seen the raised pens...but if your weather is bad the draft will kill them aslo

it takes to much time for me to put one calf one pen...I feed 80 calf in 20 minutes

ozark_jewels · #3 01/09/11, 08:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by myersfarm

I have seen the raised pens...but if your weather is bad the draft will kill them aslo

I concur. The dairy I knew that used elevated calf stalls did not have good luck with them. The drafts caused pnuemonia, and the calves couldn't keep themselves warm by huddling together since there was only one per stall. I could see it working maybe if your pens are really solid to keep out drafts. But a stall off the ground will always be colder no matter how solid.
I have never liked keeping calves alone. Competition causes them to eat better/feel better. Healthy, happy calves grow better. Plus they keep each other warm.
I know its done and reccomended by many for various reasons. I just do not like the results, myself.

myersfarm · #4 01/09/11, 09:06 PM

....And I fell no matter what YOU do you will lose calfs

I FOUND THIS TEST ON RAISED STALLS
13.9 IN RAISED AND 16 ON FLOOR IF YOU READ IT it is how they are taken care of instead of were they put.

..need to show this to my wife she loves feeding calfs...maybe I can hire her

Various feeding, management, and housing systems of 247 New York dairy farms were examined to establish predisposing conditions of calf losses. Cooperating farmers hand-recorded the data for 1 April 1972 to 31 March 1973.

Annual calf losses for herds under 100 cows, 100 to 200, and >200 averaged 15.8, 19.3, and 27.2%. The percent of calves born dead or abnormal was unrelated to herd size or environmental efforts and averaged 8.2. The person feeding the calves played an important role in calves dying before 3 mo of age: wife feeds calves, 6.3% mortality; children, 8.4%; owner or manager, 8.8%; and hired man, 11.7%. Fewer calves reared on elevated stalls were lost (13.9%) than in pens on the floor (16.0%). Mortality averaged 14.5% on farms with stanchion barns and 18.8% in free stall barns. Calves fed whole milk or milk replacer did not differ in mortality. Housing calves separately from cows had no effect.

http://www.journalofdairyscience.org...936-2/abstract

springvalley · #5 01/09/11, 09:27 PM

What I have done and do, is take hog panels,Two whole ones, and one cut up into fouths. You will also need an extra end panel l_l_l_l_l and you will have another side to this , or you can put this next to a wall, then need one less panel. I have a nice old tight draft free barn and this works great for me, but most of my calves are born in the spring also, so it is warmer. The calves are single to a 4x4 pen and bedded with straw, just use zip ties to hold them togeather. When your done I just cut the zip ties take them apart and get the Bobcat and clean up the manure. > Thanks Marc

TessiersFarm · #6 01/09/11, 09:31 PM

I have seen similar studies. The pens I will be using are solid plywood on 3 sides and solid plywood floor for the front 30" or so of the tie stall and slatted wood for the back half. I guess the theory is that when the calf lays down it will be on solid wood but when it stands and deficates it will be over the slated part. All of the pens will be in a relatively secure barn, actually in the exact same area they would be if they were in stalls. They also get calf blankets when the barn temps get to low, especially when they are very young.

Growing up we raised all our calfs in miniature tie stalls, and the farm I get my calfs from still uses these stalls. I do not have the gutters or barn cleaner so I found these plans for the elevated stalls from North Dakota State University, they have an online database of Ag plans that is awsome.

I realize I will lose calfs and I plan for that. I found that I can minimize this by good management practices, my mortality rate is well below 10%, I have lost 2 out of the last 40 or so I can remember. When I started raising calfs I got some from auctions, mortality in the 50% range, no more of that.

Thanks All

TessiersFarm · #7 01/09/11, 09:35 PM

To elaborate on my timing, I like them to be weaned and ready for pasture when the grass greens up in may, and I like to slaughter in Ocober when they are at 20 or 21 months of age. This all dictates January calfs. The other thing I found is that the calfs can handle the cold weather, the worst thing for them is the big temp swings of spring.

springvalley · #8 01/09/11, 09:46 PM

My question is, why do they need to be on elevated stalls? > Marc PS. In three years,I have never lost a calf in my pens I make.

TessiersFarm · #9 01/09/11, 10:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by springvalley

My question is, why do they need to be on elevated stalls? > Marc PS. In three years,I have never lost a calf in my pens I make.

My thought process is that it will be easier to keep them clean and dry. When I put them in small pens they soil the bedding and then lay right in it, and I do not have enough stall space to give them a large area. I see a lot of dairy farm around here using the huts and a hog panel outside in the summer time, but the temps right now are too harsh for that.

Congrats on not loseing any, I only lost any 1 year since I went to farm calves, and that year I lost 2. Vet said if they were seperated I would have only lost 1.

springvalley · #10 01/09/11, 10:50 PM

We have not had calves running togeather since I was a kid, at one time we also had calves in 4x4 plywood pens, but they were hard to get in and out of, but no drafts for sure. Yep farm bought calves are the best way to go, and fed cows milk is the best also, but not practical for most. Good luck with your calves, Thanks. > Marc

sammyd · #11 01/10/11, 08:23 AM

we raise ours in individual hutches outside
dry calves will handle most temps. Have seen them go out at 20 below as long as they are dry and well bedded.
We usually don't buy in calves till it's a little warmer though at the homestead.
On the farm we don't have a solid plan. Latest one has been tied up out in the parlor for a week. Most times they go to the hoop house in a large pen.

Raised stalls sounds to "vealy" I'd keep it on the QT....

Callieslamb · #12 01/10/11, 04:10 PM

I am not sure the calf would manure where it's supposed to. Sammyd - do you clean out the calf hutches at any point in the calf's rearing?

sammyd · #13 01/10/11, 07:02 PM

after they are weaned and they head out to pasture or tethering we move the hutch and clean up the bedding.

TessiersFarm · #14 01/12/11, 07:04 PM

So far so good. He is doing very well. Poops mostly where he is supposed to and the urine runs right out the back. what doesn't hit the slats I just scrape out while he is drinking his milk. Hopefully 3 more coming right off.

myersfarm · #15 01/12/11, 07:14 PM

can we get a picture

TessiersFarm · #16 01/12/11, 08:43 PM

I will take one tomorrow and try to post it. Does it need to go on photobucket first or what?

sammyd · #17 01/12/11, 09:28 PM

yes this site does not host the pics

travlnusa · #18 01/16/11, 07:53 AM

I stole this idea from my neighbor. Had large gravel spread out and put the hutches on top of that. Add bedding so they are comfortable. Liquids drain much better than being on dirt, draft free, etc.

sammyd · #19 01/16/11, 08:31 AM

they should be on gravel.
We started this year on the backyard...looks really nice till the rains come and make everything a mudhole....I knew better but just didn't get around to it right away....

http://script-host.com/self/drill/hutch1.jpg

agmantoo · #20 01/16/11, 08:46 AM

travlnusa,

Same here.

The weather here is not nearly as extreme and all the dairies that I see have their individual hutches outside on a heavily stoned bed. The calves cannot contact each other and the vacated hutches are relocated to a different place on the stone pad as the calf is weaned. This seems to work extremely well. I am unaware of this technique being used ~36 years when the stacked stall article referenced above was published.