A number of farmers this year have been adopting a strategy to a install clear-roofed a standoffshelter on the farm. Supplier of these specialist shelters (Redpath Pacific Ltd) – say that interest in their standoffshelter buildings has been steadily increasing for the past few years.
Farmers are starting to see the benefits of keeping the cows warm and dry in poorer weather conditions and also to ease the pressure on pugged paddocks. Farmers are telling us that “The cows use up considerably less energy in a well designed shelter and require reduced feed whilst still gaining weight when housed” –, Glen Williams from Redpath says.
A well designed standoffshelter must maintain a high level of animal health and therefore good ventilation is important, plus also they must have a high acting drying effect on the ground litter. Structural strength and long life from the specialized flexible Duratough 4 roof covering is also important.
There is a strong call for the purpose built feed-trough covers extending from the sidewall of the shelter which allow for speedy distribution of the feed from the feed-wagon. The truss design utilizes an “A”Frame concept which allows clear access-way for the farmers machinery when used inside the shelter.
Corrosion resistance of the frame is also a priority with the standoffshelters Redpath say - as the buildings must provide many years of reliable service life even when exposed to high levels of animal effluent.
The concept of covering an existing of new feedpad / standoffpad is not new . Traditional shelter systems has such as tin sheds have been used in the past (and still currently) – however the utilization of a clear roofed structure as offered by Redpath is that the cladding used maintains a high level of natural UV light within the shelter and this is an important factor in maintaining a natural and warm environment for the herd and is particularly effective at keeping the floor of the shelter drier & less prone to culturing disease.
The Duratough 4 cladding used on the roof keeps micro-biological organisms active in the flooring litter and these help to naturally compost effluent and reduce ammonia build-up.
Flooring litter used is usually Wood chips or Pole shavings as they provide reasonable aeration – however sawdust can also be used if required.
Keeping the flooring litter dry & healthy becomes quite important when housing many animals in an enclosed area – as any disease has the potential to be spread at a much faster rate within a building that houses animals at intensive levels. Some farmers are housing as many as 1 cow per 3sq/m – but the average appears to be around 4-5 sq/m per cow they say.
The cows are “quiet and approachable” when inside one of our Standoffshelters & this is a good sign that the cows are happy and content. The system though will not suit all cows though they say “some cows appear to not be happy in such close quarters to others in the herd and therefore farmers need to monitor this and pull out the cows that are underachieving. This appear to affect a small percentage only of 1-2%.
The ability to supply and build on time and service our buildings after construction is a very important factor when building flexible roof cladding standoffshelters the company says.
Redpath have been in the business of installing farm and horticultural structures throughout New Zealand for more than 30 years. The standoffshelter designs can be supplied through most existing farm supply trade companies.
Some of our shelters are being used to cover systems that offer below-floor effluent control systems , but many are simply built over the existing farm pad. A varied combination of span widths allows the shelters to often be installed around the existing feed or water troughs on the pads.
Prices for the shelters vary (based on area) – however our customers are usually pleasantly surprised at how cost effective the buildings are – and can easily see the cost per cow being as little as $20 - $30 per cow on an interest repayment basis.
