Description
This design is a basic feed yard design, with a few exceptions. The solid fences are 66 inches high, rather than the 60 inch high standard fence. The Holstein replacement heifers raised in this yard are taller than beef cattle and look over the top of the fences. The single file chutes are 2 inches wider than the standard 34 inches wide. Holsteins are both wider and taller. During handling, heifers can be brought from the receiving pens, or from distant pens in this 10,000 head yard. Two pens of heifers can be held in the holding pen, then moved in smaller groups to the curved lane and crowd pen. Breeding the heifers is done in headlocks at the feed bunks, but all other husbandry procedures and weighing is done in the squeeze chute. A five way sort from the squeeze chute allows close sorting by weight. When designing facilities for cattle, three important principles should be considered; install solid sided fences in high use areas like the curved lane and crowd pen. Cattle fear only what they can see. Blocking vision with solid fences keeps them calm. Deep groove concrete floors also keep cattle calm, and give them confidence to walk through the facility The last principle is curved fences. Curved fences make cattle think they’re going back where they came from, and prevents abrupt corners or chutes that appear dead-ended, and takes advantage of their natural tendency to circle. A video of this facility is on the home page.
