Development of Cattle Housing for Sheepdrove Organic Farm

Housing criteria should be based around the fundamental concept that “the housing should be adapted to meet the needs of the animal and NOT the adaptation of the animal to meet the needs of the building”. In practice this means housing conditions that meet the needs of the animals in terms of their social behaviour, eg subdominant animals must have the opportunity to withdraw or avoid higher status animals. This may mean greater space at feeding and watering sites greater space per cow alley widths sufficiently wide to allow free passage and the avoidance of dead ends. Good husbandry skills and herd stability are also important. (3rd NAHWOA Workshop 2002) In order to achieve these criteria there are two areas under consideration, improvements to the existing sheds to house the spring calving herd and a new building for the autumn calving herd. Objectives: To investigate ways of improving existing cattle sheds. To confirm the site of the new cattle building