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Burrenvets Newsletter
Bringing
farmers evidence based knowledge on improving your
herd
health, welfare and production.
How to design your calving area
Autumn issue 2013
A well-designed calving pen should
chain, the chain is under
provide
a safe, comfortable and
pressure, making unhooking
• How to design your
clean
environment,
which
will
result
impossible. So choose for a
calving area
in
fastening that does not have
more live and healthier calves,
easier
rebreeding cows and
this problem or use a baler
• Choosing the right
ultimately
increased
profits.
twine
for
safety
and
have
a
calving gate
1.
The
basis
is
a
roofed,
sheltered,
knife
at
the
ready.
dry area with light for calvings at
5. The head gate needs to
night.
allow the cow to drop right
2a. Position the calving pen against
down to the ground without
a wall with a head gate at the front
causing her to choke. From left
and
a chain behind the cow. Have
to right:
chain low so it won’t be in the
the
5a. This very common design is
• For Health Calendar
way when handling. The side panel
fine. Make sure that when
October November
needs
to be able to swing away
opened the cow is free; the
December go to
from
the cow when she goes down
head is in between the two
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during
calving. To enable a Cswinging parts. Don’t have the
Winter issue 2012
section
the gate on the left side of
older design, when opened the
the
head is caught in one part.
cow needs to be of such
Burrenvets
design that it gives access to the
Having a tall version made will
left flank.
make it easier for bigger cows
Spanish Point
2.b. Or position the calving crush
to stick their head in.
0657084019
between
two pens with one head
5b This head gate is not
gate and two moveable sides.
acceptable, as the cow would
Ennistymon
Have on the left side a gate for
choke when lying down
0657071155
sections
and on the right a half
5c A lot of the newer gates are
gate
at the bottom so that the calf
like this and when they work
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can
be helped to suck or farmer to
well they are great but a lot of
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them don’t work as easy as
milk
without being injured.
3.
they should. I would
Please forward your email
Keep enough space behind the
cow
to
use
the
calving
jack
but
recommend
to
ask
other
address if you would like
also
leave
plenty
of
space
in
front
farmers
experiences
before
newsletters via email
of the head gate. Don’t just leave
buying and secondly to take
care in installing it rightly.
room for the cows’ head but also
plenty of space for a person to
catch
safely a wilder cows head
when she needs to be caught by
the
nose. Secondly a cow needs
space
in front of her to get up, ½
cow
length
is recommended.
4.
A majority of cows will lie down
when calving, this will increase the
width of the pelvic area, making
room for calving so it is important
that you are able to open the gate
fast,
therefor to release the chain
fast. When the cow is sitting on the 5a 5b 5c Choosing the right calving gate
Picture 1 shows a simple design,
the top half can be opened
giving the vet access to the top
section though safe from kicks
due to the remaining bottom
half. The head gate is separate
and the side gate can be made
as long as you like.
The design in picture 2 is a
calving gate that also acts as
dividing pen gate. The head
gate is part of the calving gate
and when open the bottom half
is free which is handy when
putting a calf to suck. Be aware
that this gate is not suitable for a
section because it is the top half
that swings to the side of the cow
Picture 3 shows a design that
enables to close the two side
gates individually. Restraining the
cow for calving or for a calf to
suck. Or when one part is closed
but the smaller center is open,
the gate can be used for a
section. Again the head gate is
part of the whole gate and it can
be a dividing gate between 2
pens. Unfortunately vet and
assistant can be kicked as the
bottom half isn’t closed. Also the
opening might not suit as well a
small heifer and a big cow so
when interested start measuring
the smallest and biggest cow in
the herd.
Picture 4 shows the last design: a
separate head gate from 3 side
panels giving more options; big
frame to restrain cow and open
top half for sections leaving
closed bottom. Or opening
bottom half for putting a calf to
suck. For all designs the following
requirements allow complete
access to the left flank: the
height of the bottom half and
front bar are dictated by the
smallest cow, the height of the
top bar and back vertical bar by
the biggest cow see picture 5.
Pic 1. Simple design seen during section last week Pic 2. “3 in 1 calving gate” from http://www.odonovaneng.ie Pic 3. “3 in 1 telescopic calving gate” from http://www.teemoreengineering.com. B oth http://www.tullyforge.ie and http://www.condonengineering.ie do similar design Picture 4. “Calving gate” from Performance steel Ltd (www.persteel.com). http://www.teemoreengineering.com does similar design. These images are for illustration purposes only; for more details have a look at the above named websites and at Facebook Burrenvets for pictures of designs in our practice. Picture 5: Surgery area in small heifer and big cow. Autumn 2013
Volume 2, Issue 4 Burrenvets
(065) 7084019