Traditional cattle house is in the mind set of most entrepreneurs. Be it ‘Tail to Tail’ or ‘Head to head’ the same thing!
What features does a shelter have?
- Protect from heavy rain, storm, hot sun and cold nights in winter.
- Protect from wild animals and trespassers.
- Should be fire proof
- Easy clean
- Easy thoroughfare for workers.
- Comfort for animals.
- Hygienic
What other structures does a farm have?
- Feed store
- Fodder chaffing shed
- Straw & hay store
- AI & Veterinary shed
- Drinking water source & overhead storage tank and supply system
- Biogas plant
- Exercise paddock
- Milk handling & forwarding room
- Isolation box
- Calving box
- Calf pen
- Roads
- Drainage
- Fodder patches.
- Wash room for staff
- Garbage bin
- Office
- Staff rest room
- Milking parlorand many other provisions depending on size.
PROBLEMS:
- Un-affordable Budget. Most startups roll back.
- Capital expenses so high that it affects feasibility of farming.
- Freedom of animals minimized
- Incidence of diseases more
- Suppressed milk production
We must find better solutions. Ideally a cattle house/ shelter / barn (all same) should meet our cow’s need and managerial need also. Other structures are required for a farm too. But we have to manage it with multi-functional structures.
Consider innovations. Develop farm specific designs. Do not follow tailor made ones. Consider your assets. Consider your budget. Be careful: housing investment may be bad investment.
See this model. This is a modified loose housing system. It can be upgraded by application of innovations.
Rough outline of dairy farm. Below is cross section of Rest shed.
We can have water swamp instead of bio gas plant. It’s a traditional GUHAL. With little modifications.
Benefits: Low cost housing. No extra Hay store. Hay cools rest shed. Animal can themselves eat hay from above. Since their stay is limited; no chance of over eating. Solar panels if fitted on roof top may be beneficial. Dung transport easy.Labor cost less. You can modify as you want.