FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 2008
Calf and Heifer Housing Needs Reflected in New Plans Book
ITHACA—Penn State Housing Plans for Calves and Heifers (NRAES–201), a new book published by NRAES, is based on findings from years of research and field experience. Dairy specialists at Penn State University developed the book’s 74 plans specifically for calf and heifer housing with the aim of increasing the comfort, productivity, and longevity of dairy cattle. The plans show all dimensions except the dimensions of load- bearing components. These must be sized based on local conditions.
Penn State Housing Plans for Calves and Heifers ($35.00 plus S&H/sales tax; 279 pages; January 2008) provides for individual housing for the baby calf with liquid feed, solid feed, and water usually delivered to the pen twice a day. When a calf is successfully consuming sufficient solid feed, plans provide for transferring her to group housing beginning with a small weaned-calf group and graduating up through a variety of group housing situations based on her size and the number of animals kept in a group. The plans provide for a clean, dry living environment that accommodates health and management needs and convenience of moving an animal from one age or size group to the next. Four plans show how housing needs from birth to breeding age can be met in a single housing system. Drawn for specific numbers of animals, most plans provide guidelines to accommodate the actual number of calves and heifers on a farm. Growth charts and space requirements for Jerseys and Holsteins from birth to pre-fresh are also included.
This 279-page, coil-bound book consists of eight plans for baby-calf shelters, hutches, and pens; three plans for weaned-calf shelters and pens (weaning to 300 pounds); five plans for combination baby- and weaned-calf shelters (birth to 300 pounds); eight plans for heifer bedded-pack shelters (300 pounds to one month pre-fresh); nine plans for heifer freestall shelters (500 pounds to one month pre-fresh); nine plans for drive-through freestall shelters (500 pounds to one month pre-fresh); ten plans for drive-through bedded pack and bedded pack/freestall shelters (300 pounds to one month pre-fresh); two plans for heifer self-cleaning shelters (500 to 1,000 pounds); four plans for utility rooms; five plans for calf and heifer housing systems; and ten plans for details, such as sidewalls, ventilation, feed barriers, water stations, floor surfaces, and more. More information about the book, including sample pages, can be found at WWW.NRAES.ORG.
Penn State Housing Plans for Calves and Heifers was published by NRAES (Natural Resource, Agriculture, and Engineering Service), Cooperative Extension. It was authored by Robert E. Graves, Professor, Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Penn State University; and three Regional Agricultural Engineers with Penn State Cooperative Extension: Dan F. McFarland, York County; John T. Tyson, Mifflin County; and Thomas H. Wilson, Crawford County. Penn State Housing Plans for Calves and Heifers (NRAES–201) is available for $35.00 per copy (plus shipping and handling) from NRAES, Cooperative Extension, PO Box 4557, Ithaca, New York 14852-4557. You can order online at WWW.NRAES.ORG. Shipping and handling for one copy is $6.00 within the continental United States. New York residents, add 8% sales tax (calculated on both the cost of the publication and the shipping and handling charges). Major credit cards are accepted, and checks should be made payable to NRAES. For more information or a free publications catalog, contact NRAES by phone at (607) 255-7654, by fax at (607) 254-8770, or by e-mail at [email protected].
If ordering from outside the continental United States, please contact NRAES; if ordering more than one copy, contact NRAES or visit our web site at WWW.NRAES.ORG .
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Calf and Heifer Housing Needs Reflected in New Plans Book
ITHACA—Penn State Housing Plans for Calves and Heifers (NRAES–201), a new book published by NRAES, features 74 plans specifically for calf and heifer housing with the aim of increasing the comfort, productivity, and longevity of dairy cattle. The plans, developed by dairy specialists at Penn State University, show all dimensions except those for load-bearing components. Beginning with plans for individual housing for baby calves, the book progresses through several age groups with group-housing options designed to provide a clean, dry living environment that accommodates health and management needs, as well as convenience of moving an animal from one age or size group to another. There are also plans for utility rooms and building details, such as sidewalls, ventilation, feed barriers, water stations, crossovers, freestalls, floor surfaces, gates, and pen work. Drawn for specific numbers of animals, most plans provide guidelines to house the actual number of calves and heifers on a farm; growth charts and space requirements for both Holsteins and Jerseys are included.
Penn State Housing Plans for Calves and Heifers (NRAES–201) is available for $35.00 per copy (plus $6.00 shipping and handling within the continental US) from NRAES, Cooperative Extension, PO Box 4557, Ithaca, New York 14852-4557. New York residents, add 8% sales tax. You can order online at WWW.NRAES.ORG . For more information or a free publications catalog, contact NRAES by phone at (607) 255-7654, by fax at (607) 254-8770, or by e-mail at [email protected].
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