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Keep your calves warm, dry, and growing strong with a purpose-built calf shelter. A SmartShelters calf shed protects young animals from the elements, supports healthy growth, and simplifies your daily workload from day one.
Our post mounted calf shelters feature a hooped shelter design that encourages healthy airflow and stable internal temperatures. It provides a clean, comfortable environment for young calves during a critical stage of rearing.
With 110 years of experience, we know how to design and build calf shelters for New Zealand farms. Streamline day-to-day management and raise healthier, more productive animals with SmartShelters.
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Our dairy calf sheds consist of a galvanised steel structure mounted on poles and covered by our signature SmartShield® fabric.
SmartShield® allows natural light to filter in, so your calves receive the sunlight they need without the UV load or heat stress of direct exposure. This also reduces reliance on artificial lighting and heating, lowering running costs for your farm.
Our dairy calf housing options are available in flexible widths and lengths to suit your paddock, calf numbers, and pen layout. Whether you’re creating a permanent calf rearing facility or need a portable calf shelter, we can create the ideal calf-rearing shed design for your needs.
Calves housed in a SmartShelter don't burn energy trying to stay warm. More of their feed goes toward growth, meaning faster weight gain and better feed conversion. Year-round weather protection helps reduce stress, sickness, and mortality, while excellent ventilation helps minimise the risk of respiratory illness.
Centralised calf housing enables easier routine checks, vaccination schedules, and early intervention. You can easily isolate sick animals and put clear hygiene processes in place, reducing the risk of disease outbreaks across your herd.
SmartShield® fabric floods the interior with natural light, cutting your reliance on electric lighting, while built-in ventilation means you won't need expensive HVAC systems. Add a clear-span roof and flexible pen layouts, and you've got a bright, open, and comfortable environment that adapts to your operation.
Whether you're converting a paddock or building on a new block, SmartShelters' modular design makes installation efficient and practical. Our calf shelters are also relocatable, ideal if your operation grows or your needs change.
SmartShelters is New Zealand's first and most experienced shelter manufacturer. Designed and built in Auckland, our steel calf shed designs are purpose-built for your local weather conditions. Plus, you'll benefit from quick, friendly support when you need repairs, upgrades, or expert advice.
Exclusive to SmartShelters, SmartShield® is a 100% PVC-free ripstop membrane that resists tears, wear, and UV breakdown. Our hoop frames are manufactured with premium C450-grade structural galvanised steel with square or rectangular profile.
All shelters are designed to meet AS/NZS 1170.2:2021, including wind and snow loadings based on your location. Whether you’re farming in Southland or the Bay of Plenty, you’ll get engineered compliance that makes council consent easier.
"It's about animal welfare. The shelter gives the cows shade in the summer and protection in the winter, they spend anywhere from two to 20 hours a day in it.”
"We've pulled calves out of the mud, and it takes a long time for the pasture to recover. The shelters have made a huge difference to the land"
‘‘The cows are shiny, happy, and fat here. They are probably in the best condition we have had cows in winter.’’
Calf shelters are purpose-built to provide protection, comfort, and structure during the most vulnerable stage of an animal’s life. Designed with the realities of New Zealand farming in mind, our durable, NZ-made steel calf shelters help you safeguard new calves from the elements, reduce stress, and support animal health and growth.
Calves should be housed for 2-4 weeks for dairy heifer replacements and 4-5 weeks for beef calves, though many farmers choose to house them for up to 8 weeks or through the full weaning period (approx. 7-8 months). Quality calf shelter during this time supports growth, immunity, and long-term productivity. Weather and available paddock space on the farm are also factors.
A general rule is 1.5m² per calf, with no more than 10 calves per pen. SmartShelters can help you plan the right capacity for your shelter based on your stock numbers and calf-rearing goals. Space requirements can be lower if calves have access to an external paddock area in suitable weather.
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer. The ideal calf shelter layout depends on your site, herd size, and workflow.
At SmartShelters we offer flexible pen layouts, widths, and lengths, and entry/exit options to streamline feeding, cleaning, and health checks. A 12-20m shelter is suitable for central feedlanes, with pens on each side. A 10-14m shelter is suitable for full width pens with calf feeding down each side.
You can customise your calf shed with optional extras, including side eaves to keep calves dry while feeding. Our team will help you work out the right configuration for your livestock.
A well-designed shed for calves improves health by keeping animals warm, dry, and away from the stress of sun, wind, and cold ground. That said, housing is only one part of the picture. Disease control depends on the hygiene and management practices you pair with it. To reduce the risk of airborne and contact-spread illness in your calf housing, we recommend the following:
Combined with the natural airflow and dry environment provided by SmartShelters’ design, these practices go a long way in supporting the health of your young herd.
The cost of a SmartShelters calf shed depends on your calf housing requirements, including span, length, and pen layout, along with your site conditions and any optional add-ons. Contact us for a site visit and we'll provide a detailed quote tailored to your calf farming operation.
SmartShelters is a trusted name in farming shelter construction in NZ. We manufacture every structure for your specific site, with premium materials and quality backed by an industry-leading 12-year warranty. We know what New Zealand conditions demand, and we never cut corners to meet them.
Whether you're rearing dairy replacements, beef calves, or high-value stock, we can design a calf shelter tailored to your herd and your property. Contact us to see how a SmartShelters calf shed can benefit your business today.
Protect what matters with New Zealand-made shelters built on 100 years of trusted expertise. Contact us today!
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