The team at Robinsons delivered a new calf-rearing youngstock building along with internal agricultural housing equipment through retailer FarmFit.
Mr Roan of Colvend, West Coast of Scotland, required a new agricultural building suitable for calf-rearing and husbandry needs on their Dairy Farm. The coastal location required specific design considerations to be factored into the building specification such as steel size and finish, to meet CE marking requirements. We worked with the Roan family throughout the project from the initial planning and design stages, through the groundwork and concrete works to the erection and completion of the building with finishing touches.
Additionally, we worked with our retail partners, FarmFit, to design an internal layout that included many completely bespoke made-to-measure products to meet the farm’s needs which worked in harmony with the new building.
Every aspect of the project was considered, and the building was created with:
- A galvanised finish – selected for easier maintenance and longevity;
- Extra ventilation, was added by increasing the standard roof pitch towards an open protected ridge. This was adapted to suit the building and an added space on the last purlin before connection to the space boarding sides allowed for a through-flow of the air;
- Sheeted gates, which staggered down one side to access the individual bays with Galebreaker Rollerscreens above to protect the livestock from the coastal breeze and cold weather. The enclosed sections were finished with CWP Concrete Wall Panels and Yorkshire Boarding;
- Individual areas for the milk mixing stations, designed to be situated between pens with steel platforms above for the water to mix with powdered milk;
- A 2” x “2” weld mesh sheet, was added to the pen gates to help keep smaller calves secure. The posts between the gates are in sockets so that they can be lifted out and a cap is inserted for access during cleaning out;
- A bespoke double-sided hay rack, which was designed and built to fit onto our concrete panels from CWP. The hay racks could be sat on to the panels or bolted onto the walls for a more secure and permanent fixture;
- Holes were put into the hinges so that R clips could be added to prevent feed barriers from lifting.
Each pen was separated with concrete wall panels rather than the traditional gates for easy cleaning and to help prevent any cross-contamination, and a drain ran the length of the shed in front of the pens for the liquid to drain from the bedded pens. Concrete floors generally have a run on them somewhere between flat and 1%, however, in this case, the slope on the concrete towards the drain was increased to 3.5%. A raised wooden kerb was put in place under the gates to allow water to escape without rotting the wood.
The pens were designed to house calves as they progressed from the automatic milk feeders to the older calves moving onto cake and straw. The Roan family wanted to utilise as much space as possible for feeding, so the team used their expertise to create a feeder trough that would hold a larger volume. We created an 800mm deep steel frame and added stock boarding to seal the trough with an adjustable feed rail.
The Roan family were very happy with the final results, and the whole team here at Robinsons love seeing their updates of the residents enjoying their new home!
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