THE IDEAL SOLUTION FOR CALF REARING SHEDS
Make the smart choice for your herd. Choose a SmartShelters calf rearing shelter.
A clean, well-lit, well-ventilated shelter gives your calves a head-start in life; and those features are exactly what you can expect from a SmartShelters calf shelter. A unique hooped design encourages gentle air movement, keeping the shelter environment fresh and clean. This keeps calves cooler in summer, while reducing the risk of airborne and respiratory disease.
IMPROVE HERD HEALTH
Having better control over the light and temperature of your calf shed
SmartShelters’ ultra-heavy-duty fabric offers excellent light penetration without the fatiguing effect of direct sunlight, meaning your calves enjoy more even temperatures while still getting a taste of sun. The wealth of natural light means a reduction in your electricity bills too! SmartShelters’ calf-rearing shelters are available in a range of clever layouts, giving you the flexibility to choose different spans, pen layouts and capacities
THE BEST APPROACH TO CALF HOUSING
Keeping your calves healthy
Young animals are far more susceptible to disease and extreme conditions than older ones. Housing your calves makes it far easier to keep them healthy, by:
- Ensuring regular and easy access to food
- Providing shelter from the elements and more comfortable temperatures (SmartShelters calf rearing shelters are 3-4C cooler in the summer and 3-4C warmer in the winter)
- Centralising your young herd, facilitating easier management
- Enabling you to put firm processes in place for vaccinations, disease management and disease treatment
GALLERY
TOUGH MATERIALS FOR LONG LIFESPAN
You have peace of mind with the SmartShelters’ 12-year limited warranty against product faults.
We use only the highest quality components to ensure that your shelter stands up to the conditions. SmartShelters structures are engineered to AS/NZS 1170.2:2021 and are rated to withstand wind and snow conditions. By using structural-grade Supergal galvanised steel framing and tough Ripstop roof covers we have built up a reputation for extremely high quality and long-lasting structures.
TESTIMONALS
Smartshelters played a critical role in the recent project to gather information about the Alpine Fault – New Zealand’s biggest earthquake threat.
THE DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION EMPLOYED SMARTSHELTERS TO CREATE A HELICOPTER HANGAR AND ACCOMMODATION SHELTERS FOR USE IN THE MOUSE ERADICATION PROJECT IN THE WILD ANTIPODES ISLANDS. CHECK OUT OUR VIDEO ON LOCATION.
ASK US A QUESTION ABOUT OUR CALF SHEDS
How long do I need to house calves for?
By housing your calves in a quality shelter with sufficient space, you’ll ensure that they grow as healthy as possible as quickly as possible.
Calves should be housed for a minimum of 2-3 weeks for dairy heifer replacements, and 4-5 weeks for beef rearers, although it is more common to house them for eight weeks or more. Ideally a calf will be housed for much of the weaning process, which generally lasts seven or eight months. This early stage of life is when the calf is at its most vulnerable, so by offering it comfortable conditions and easy access to food you’ll also be ensuring its health and future productivity.
How many square metres per calf?
While it’s important that you don’t overcrowd your calves in housing, there’s also no need to make calf sheds too big. 1.5m² per calf is more than enough. You should hold a maximum of 10 calves per calf shelter.
What is the best calf shelter layout?
There is no single calf rearing shed layout that’s better than the rest. The best shed design will be one that suits the needs of you and your animal; one that facilitates easy management, and gives you the best chance of raising healthy and happy calves.
SmartShelters’ calf-rearing shelters are available in a range of layouts both standard and custom, which feature a variety of different spans, pen plans and capacities. At SmartShelters our expert team can design and construct a calf rearing shelter with a pen layout that works for you.
How do you control disease in calf barns?
While outbreaks are somewhat inevitable, disease in your calf rearing shelter is a relatively easy thing to mitigate and manage if you have firm processes in place. The following strategies will help to minimise the likelihood of disease, and manage an outbreak if one should ever occur.
- Ensure all feeding equipment, including feeders, teats, buckets and mixing utensils, is scrubbed with detergent/sanitiser and hot water
- Spray pens on a regular basis with a broad spectrum disinfectant, while being careful not to apply it to feed and water troughs or the animals themselves
- Utilise a separate pen to quarantine any sick calves, and keep them away from the healthy animals
- Disinfect any areas used for treating sick calves
- Wear appropriate clothing when in contact with calves, and clean it after every use
Contact a member of our experienced team today to discuss a truly smart shelter solution for your property.
