Replacement Housing

Table 6. Feed space requirements.

|Type |Age, months |Mature |

| | |cow |

| |3-4 |5-8 |9-12 |13-15 |16-24 | |

| |in/animal |

|Self feeder | | | | | | |

|Hay or silage |4 |4 |5 |6 |6 |6 |

|Mixed ration or grain |12 |12 |15 |18 |18 |18 |

|Once-a-day feeding | | | | | | |

|Hay, silage, or ration |12 |18 |22 |26 |26 |26-30 |

Cold housing

Cold housing is the recommended system for raising replacement animals.

Cold housing building systems provide a dry and draft-free environment in winter, and wind ventilation and shade in summer. The building is usually uninsulated and has natural ventilation designed as an integral part of the building. Indoor temperature follows outside temperature very closely.

Advantages of a cold housing are:

> Less expensive to build.

> Less expensive to ventilate and heat.

> Better disease control.

> During cold weather, disadvantages of a cold housing are:

> Freezing can make manure handling difficult.

> Waterers must be protected from freezing.

> Frostbite of calves ears may be a problem.

> Increased feed required to maintain body heat.

Warm housing

A warm housing system is less desirable for raising replacements.

Typically environmentally controlled systems are improperly managed resulting in health and growth problems. The buildings are typically insulated heavily and a controlled mechanical ventilation system delivers fresh outside air. Properly designed inlets allow fresh outside air to be evenly distributed throughout the entire structure.