I wouldn't do the 4ft walls unless you install fans. Maybe a 1ft curb with the gate panels on top. My barn was originally going to be a compost pack and had a solid retaining wall around. I ended up with pneumonia going through the cows in July because the air was stagnate and manure gases being heavier than air were building up. Got to have good air flow.
From what I have observed over quite a while when you have had cattle housed I think that it has worked well for you and your circumstances (type and age of cattle, diets being fed, animal health, etc) however I have a few thoughts to suggest for consideration. 1. Handling cattle to carry out any type of individual inspection, treatment, sorting, weighing, loading / unloading etc with minimal staff is increasingly important and potentially dangerous especially if the stock has not been accustomed to being handled - remember many of yours have been home bred and reared and are naturally pretty calm and quiet anyway. I always thought that you needed such a facility either on the end of the building where the bulk hopper is placed ot better still on the concrete area outside the building on the feed passage area - neither need a roof over them in my opinion. 2. Although you call this building your steer barn but from what I have observed you have used it mostly as a cow and calf and weaned cattle / yearlings feeding and accommodation purpose. I know that has caused a few issues at times with calving (no readily available calving pens close to hand) and likewise any pens for sick or injured cattle. 3. I always thought it was good that you could let the cattle out to the field via the central rear wall door to loaf about in the warm weather although this obviously used an area of some land which obviously can grow good crops. Whether your herd needed as much area as they were given is perhaps debatable! 4. I have never thought that you had sufficient space available to store manure especially when you had no way of spreading it due to bad weather / wet soils or crops growing on the land. This situation would have been, in my opinion, much worse overall if the feed passage was slatted as this would have had to be a massive store to cope. Don't forget the liquid manure would be heavily contaminated with bedding material and waste forage feed - not an easy concoction to chop and pump. 5. You mentioned that you have your own well for drinking water but I would have guttered and captured at least one side of the roof and used captured rainfall for some drinking water requirements for the cattle. I acknowledge freezing weather conditions could be a real issue with cattle on high volume dry diet situations when aiming for high daily liveweight gains in steers.
Selling finished steers out of that building assuming you could clear $100 per head on a 16 month program you would have to move minimum 120 animals to make the payment. Thats not taking any money for manure handling or building maintenance...... Local cash price on fats even for potbelly premiums guys are losing money per head. Bring in a cow calf and there is zero money on hauling hay into a barn to be made. We spent 20 grand on a building and could run 100 steers through that. Them numbers aren't hard to cash flow but still not as good as grazing numbers. Just stubborn and like my steers in the yard.
It was smart to put insulation on the ceiling, keep the condensation from dripping on the cattle on frosty mornings. The one end of the barn was left open. Would you close it up?
I’ve got almost 9000’ of Roll-O-Matic temperature controlled power curtains and I wouldn’t trade them for the world. I’d trade my wife off before the curtains.
Thanks for sharing 👍
Great video! That cattle barn look mighty empty and quiet. Thanks for sharing! Have a great and awesome evening!
You seem to have a good handle on what the next barn should have! Great video! Thanks for sharing❗❗❗ 🙂🙂🙂 👍👍👍
Can’t wait to see your new barn being built
I wouldn't do the 4ft walls unless you install fans. Maybe a 1ft curb with the gate panels on top.
My barn was originally going to be a compost pack and had a solid retaining wall around. I ended up with pneumonia going through the cows in July because the air was stagnate and manure gases being heavier than air were building up. Got to have good air flow.
Thanks for the tour
It sure looks a lot bigger without the cows . Lots of really great info for other farms to know !
nice barn hope It all works out for you
You probably have the most efficient and cleanest farm ever❤️❤️❤️
Obviously this is the only farming channel you watch to make a stupid comment like that this guy is pathetic compared to progressive farmers
Hey Eric, I love following your video's but could you please get a move on to your new operation so that I can see it in my lifetime , i'm 75 now .
I am working hard to get everything finalized. This is not an easy process. Thanks for being a part of The Farming Life channel
From what I have observed over quite a while when you have had cattle housed I think that it has worked well for you and your circumstances (type and age of cattle, diets being fed, animal health, etc) however I have a few thoughts to suggest for consideration.
1. Handling cattle to carry out any type of individual inspection, treatment, sorting, weighing, loading / unloading etc with minimal staff is increasingly important and potentially dangerous especially if the stock has not been accustomed to being handled - remember many of yours have been home bred and reared and are naturally pretty calm and quiet anyway.
I always thought that you needed such a facility either on the end of the building where the bulk hopper is placed ot better still on the concrete area outside the building on the feed passage area - neither need a roof over them in my opinion.
2. Although you call this building your steer barn but from what I have observed you have used it mostly as a cow and calf and weaned cattle / yearlings feeding and accommodation purpose. I know that has caused a few issues at times with calving (no readily available calving pens close to hand) and likewise any pens for sick or injured cattle.
3. I always thought it was good that you could let the cattle out to the field via the central rear wall door to loaf about in the warm weather although this obviously used an area of some land which obviously can grow good crops. Whether your herd needed as much area as they were given is perhaps debatable!
4. I have never thought that you had sufficient space available to store manure especially when you had no way of spreading it due to bad weather / wet soils or crops growing on the land. This situation would have been, in my opinion, much worse overall if the feed passage was slatted as this would have had to be a massive store to cope. Don't forget the liquid manure would be heavily contaminated with bedding material and waste forage feed - not an easy concoction to chop and pump.
5. You mentioned that you have your own well for drinking water but I would have guttered and captured at least one side of the roof and used captured rainfall for some drinking water requirements for the cattle. I acknowledge freezing weather conditions could be a real issue with cattle on high volume dry diet situations when aiming for high daily liveweight gains in steers.
Selling finished steers out of that building assuming you could clear $100 per head on a 16 month program you would have to move minimum 120 animals to make the payment. Thats not taking any money for manure handling or building maintenance......
Local cash price on fats even for potbelly premiums guys are losing money per head.
Bring in a cow calf and there is zero money on hauling hay into a barn to be made.
We spent 20 grand on a building and could run 100 steers through that. Them numbers aren't hard to cash flow but still not as good as grazing numbers. Just stubborn and like my steers in the yard.
It was smart to put insulation on the ceiling, keep the condensation from dripping on the cattle on frosty mornings. The one end of the barn was left open. Would you close it up?
Barns definitely are not inexpensive anymore!!
You will always find something you want to do different! Pretty sunset!!
Great video!
Where are you moving to?
its allitle sad seeing the barn empty
I’ve got almost 9000’ of Roll-O-Matic temperature controlled power curtains and I wouldn’t trade them for the world. I’d trade my wife off before the curtains.
So you are going to get more steers.
Are you guys still planning on moving?
Would you consider a “flush” system like some dairy’s use instead of the pit?
How big is this barn, dimension wise?
Wow barn looks different empty