Content:
Each animal, in addition to water and food, requires special and comfortable living conditions. Despite the fact that cattle are not cleanliness, it is necessary to build a barn for it that will meet all standards and norms.
Characteristics of the premises
A bull stall must be built according to certain rules. The meat productivity of animals directly depends on how well everything will be correctly designed and built. Each bull compartment is made as comfortable and safe as possible.
Bull shed
Before you start building a bull shed, you need to think carefully and foresee everything. In addition, during construction it is required to adhere to certain standard requirements, which are as follows:
- you need to ensure the safety of animals, their owners and other people;
- the animal must freely enter, leave, lie down and get up;
- bulls should have easy access to food and water;
- in the future, when performing various works, it is necessary to be able to securely fix the animal.
Animals will stay in the constructed dwelling for at least 10 hours a day, so they should feel comfortable there. Bulls need to be taken outside, even in the worst weather. For this, it is recommended to equip pens for bulls near the place of detention, which are covered with a blind canopy and are equipped with partitions on the sides. In the bull pen, animals will feel comfortable and at ease.
The choice of the place also needs to be given close attention and certain conditions must be observed. Experts recommend building a barn at a sufficient distance from private houses in which people live. There should be room for a stack of straw, a silo pit and a manure heap near the bull shed. Compliance with these conditions will greatly facilitate the process of keeping and feeding animals.
Bull shed
Before starting construction, you first need to design a bull shed and make an estimate. It is important that the drawn up drawing is correct and competent, since it depends on how strong the structure will be, durable, and also practical. When drawing up a scheme, a work plan and performing all calculations, you need to be based on the number of heads that will be kept in the room. The recommended area for one bull is 6 m², with each stall divided by a partition.
Construction stages
When drawing up a project for future construction, you need to immediately calculate the size of the space in the stall, think over all the nuances, such as the need for additional heating, lighting and ventilation systems, the location of feeders and drinkers. At this stage, you should plan everything carefully, since later any changes will be costly and time consuming.
Laying the foundation
The primary task in the process of building any room is to lay the foundation. The key to the durability of any bull stall is a solid and high-quality foundation. For such a construction, three methods of building a foundation are used:
- tape - this foundation is considered one of the most versatile and optimal;
- columnar - the simplest, fastest and most economical way, but at the same time such a foundation is not intended for significant loads, therefore a small number of bulls may be kept in a shed with this foundation;
- monolithic - requires significant costs, both labor and financial, because its construction requires the participation of specialized equipment; moreover, this type of foundation is considered one of the strongest and most durable.
In order to make the right decision and choose one or another type of foundation, it is required to take into account the type of soil, the number of bulls, the features and characteristics of the material from which the building will be erected. In the process of laying the foundation of a bull shed with your own hands, it is important to provide high-quality waterproofing.
Floor construction
In order for a do-it-yourself bull stall to be of high quality, and the animals to feel comfortable in it, the floors must be made of durable material that can withstand the weight of bulls. The best option is concrete. Concrete floors, in comparison with those made of wood or sleepers, will last a long time and will allow a large number of large animals to stand on the floor. In addition, household odors will not be absorbed into such a floor. But since concrete is very cold in its pure form, it is necessary to build a removable shield from wooden planks and constantly use a soft bedding of hay or straw.
Concrete floor is better
When erecting the floor, you need to raise it slightly. The best option is considered to be a four percent slope to the main surface. This is necessary in order for the excrement of the bulls to flow in one direction.
Walling
If you plan to make a small shed for gobies, then wood can be used to build walls, and a brick or foam block is best for a large stall. During the construction of walls, small holes must be left in them. This is necessary so that in the summer it is not too hot in the barn, to maintain the temperature inside the building in the winter, the holes are clogged.
The barn is equipped with opening windows
When constructing walls, care must be taken to light the stall. For this, the shed is equipped with opening windows, which are located at a distance of 120 cm from the flooring.
Roof arrangement
Most often, cattle sheds are covered with slate. This is due to the low cost of the building material and its long service life. It is best to construct a two-row roof with an attic, since this option does not allow the heat to escape quickly in winter. In addition, in the attic you can store hay or household equipment, which is a lot when keeping animals, especially in the village.
The sheds are covered with slate.
If the roof is erected without an attic, then it is insulated with building materials. The roof must be built with high quality, as snow or raindrops accidentally falling on the animal can negatively affect its health.
Barn equipment
It is not enough just to build premises for stabling bulls; they need to be properly equipped. Feeders and drinkers should be placed in an accessible place for animals. They are usually installed outside the bull stall. Feeders in the barn can be made with your own hands. To do this, you need a board, which must be sanded.
Feeders and drinkers should be placed in an accessible place for animals
The drinker and feeder should be positioned in such a way that the animal is comfortable, so the best option would be to equip them at a height of about 10 cm from the floor. As for drinking bowls, farmers now use automatic devices that provide constant access to clean water. When raising bulls at home and with a small number of animals, drinkers are made with their own hands.
Breeder tips
Building a bull shed requires a solid and responsible approach. Regardless of the size of the shed, in order to achieve a positive result, you need to adhere to certain recommendations of experienced livestock breeders:
- When choosing the location of the shed, it is recommended to take into account the flow of spring waters and the direction of the wind.
- You should not plan construction in close proximity to residential buildings and sources of drinking water.
- You need to give preference to high-quality, durable and environmentally friendly building materials that have good thermal insulation properties.
- At the stage of drafting the project, the weather characteristics of the region should be taken into account.
- The size of the room must meet the needs of the animals.
In order for the bull shed to meet all the requirements and satisfy the needs of the animal, as well as contribute to their productivity, it is imperative to comply with all conditions and sequence of construction, as well as to responsibly approach the choice of building materials and space planning requirements. If you follow all the recommendations, building a stall with your own hands will not be difficult.
