Livestock

...from previous page air into the building without causing drafts at calf level, Tim added.

Inlet and outlet

One area the industry needs to focus on going forward is ensuring su cient outlet, as many UK sheds are lacking in this area, Tim believes.

The ridge can be raised to allow air to leave the shed, taking with it moisture, bacteria and contamination, and putting the cap back in place reduces the ingress of water.

Tim added: “We are seeing more and more light ridges which are a great way of bringing additional light and energy in to heat up the air so it rises better, but still provides an outlet for air to escape. As a rough target we’re looking for 0.04m2 per calf in terms of an outlet. For most calf buildings, if they are relatively stocked at around 2m2/calf, you’re generally looking at a gap in the roof of 15–20cm.”

Inlet should be at least four times the outlet; don’t rely on opening and closing doors or inlet from gable ends, especially in long buildings, Tim added. It’s also worth noting that space boarding (a single line of boards) is often incorrectly referred to as Yorkshire boarding (two lines of boards that are o set). The big advantage of true Yorkshire boarding is it still maintains the air inlet and the same air ow but the second line of boards stops the ingress of moisture, rain, snow etc and helps to break up the wind. This is especially important if the sides of the shed are facing into oncoming weather.

Disinfection protocol

Farms should have a protocol on the frequency of disinfection, product choice, concentration and drying times, for example, but this is often overlooked, Tim said.

“We have a lot to learn from our pig and poultry colleagues; they really get on top of disease control through all-in, all-out systems. They allow buildings to rest, be fully cleaned and disinfected before new batches come in. I know this challenge is really felt by the all-year-round calving herds where you’ve constantly got that trickle of calves coming through the shed. Trying to nd a way to have some point in the year – even if it’s just during summer – when calves are housed outside or in hutches to allow you to properly clean and disinfect, will help control disease such as scours,” Tim explained.