Facilities and Technology
Find information and tips on beef cattle housing and handling facilities. Resources on ventilation systems for cattle barns and housing, biosecurity, cattle Bud Boxes, and farm lighting are also available.
Beef Cattle Barns and Housing Facilities
Good housing and handling facilities are essential for all beef cattle operations. Commonly, beef cows are housed in cattle barns, pasture systems, calf pens, free stalls, tie stalls, or dry lots.
Before building any housing facility, beef producers should consider the type of operation, the herd’s size, the layout of the pastures, and the available resources. Feedlot cattle operations, for instance, do not need extensive housing. Open-sided sheds and cattle barns, as well as enclosed structures, are typically a good option.
Housing also plays an essential role in beef cattle health. Many hoof problems are increased by environmental conditions such as constantly wet or contaminated floors. To learn more, have a look at Penn State Extension’s free webinar on preventing foot and lameness issues.
Beef Cattle Equipment
Building housing facilities requires integrating ventilation systems, space, lighting, feed, and water, as well as management practices for waste.
Ventilation Systems
Good air quality is essential for ensuring animal comfort, welfare, and productivity. Also, ventilation can help control humidity and remove odors, gases, and pathogens.
Depending on the beef operation and its resources, you can opt for natural-wind ventilation or mechanical-fan ventilation. Penn State Extension offers resources on evaluating ventilation system performance in cattle housing, designing inlets for mechanical ventilation, improving ventilation for veal calf housing, and many more.
Cattle Feeders
Typically, feedlot operations use concrete feed bunks that allow cows to feed on both sides. Bunks of treated lumber, however, can be utilized as well. The feed is delivered via a bucket loader, a mixer wagon, or a conveyor.
Watering Equipment
Water is one of the most important beef cattle nutrients. Both feedlot and grazing cattle need to have access to plenty of fresh, clean water. Producers can choose from a wide array of watering products such as field drinkers, water bowls, and troughs.
Cattle Handling Systems
Proper cattle handling equipment is necessary for restraining animals during various beef cattle management operations, such as vaccinations, castrations, body scoring, and medical treatments.
Generally speaking, the basics of a well-designed cattle handling system are catch pens, collection alleys or lane systems, crowding pens, squeeze chutes, headgates, and loading ramps.
Cattle Chutes and Loading Ramps
A cattle chute is the most important piece of handling equipment. Most cattle chutes have a similar design – (head) gate at the front, two sturdy sides (that allow access to the head and neck), and a back gate that prevents cattle from backing out of the chute.
Loading ramps are used to direct animals from the handling facilities, such as the cattle chute, to trailers and vice versa. The ramps are either portable or permanent.
Headlocks
Headlocks offer cattle producers a way to effectively handle day-to-day activities by restraining individuals or groups of animals. In addition, headlocks can reduce the time required to move cattle from the pens to the treatment areas and help better utilize feeding time and space at the feedbunk.
Catch Pens, Alleys, and Crowding Pens
Catch pens, or holding pens, are used to gather the animals before moving to a crowd pen. Catch pens can also be used in combination with gates to sort cattle into groups.
From the catch pen, cattle are moved to the crowding pen through an alley. The crowding pen has a circular or funnel design and leads the cows to the working pen/chute.
Cattle Bud Boxes
A Bud Box is a term used to describe a rectangular facility that leads cattle to a chute or a trailer area. Bud Boxes take advantage of cows’ natural instincts and can help decrease stress associated with cattle handling.
Resources on Cattle Housing and Handling Facilities
Penn State Extension provides educational resources and advice for beef cattle producers. On this page, find all there is to know about beef cattle equipment, corrals, cattle handling systems, and housing facilities.
- Articles
Beef Cattle Facilities: Handling Systems
Proper handling facilities for beef cattle keep both the handler and the animal safe. While wide variety of systems exist, farmers should choose a system that works for them and type of beef cattle that they manage. - Articles
Checklist For Existing Infrastructure and Beef Cattle
This checklist will help you access a building before deciding to use it for beef cattle by looking at different functions that must be provided to house animals successfully. - Articles
Agrivoltaics- What Opportunities Exist for Livestock Producers?
The demand for solar energy production gives opportunities for livestock producers to work alongside solar operations to utilize land to its utmost potential while creating additional revenue streams. - Articles
Beef Cow Pen and Bunk Spacing Requirements
To maximize cow health and performance of all mature beef cows, it is important to ensure that they have adequate pen and bunk space. - Articles
Selecting Rated Ventilation Fans
This article explains how to select an agricultural ventilation fan for the conditions under which it will be operating in a livestock or greenhouse setting. - Articles
Evaluating Air Quality in Livestock Housing Environments
This publication focuses on important aspects of evaluating and troubleshooting farm animal housing environment and ventilation system performance. - Articles
Psychrometric Chart Use
A psychrometric chart presents properties of air in a graphical format useful for troubleshooting greenhouse or livestock building environmental problems. - Articles
Inlets for Mechanical Ventilation Systems in Animal Housing
Properly designed and functioning ventilation inlet openings are key for achieving comfortable, fresh air conditions in farm animal housing. - Articles
Heavy Use Area Pads for Cattle
A challenge that beef and dairy producers manage through is mud, which deteriorates soil health in areas of heavy use. A heavy use area pad prevents soil erosion, creating more sustainability. - Articles
Ventilation Improvements for Veal Calf Housing
This article explains how adding a second and third large baffle inlet assembly to a 50-calf room can provide hot weather ventilation. - Articles
Resources for Ventilation of Livestock Housing
Information on ventilation systems available at Penn State. - Articles
Beef Cattle Spacing Requirements
Overcrowding can have negative effects on animal performance and efficiency. To maximize growth performance, producers should ensure the pen and bunk space are adequate. - Articles
Benefits of Weighing Beef Cattle
Weighing your beef cattle can be helpful in increasing efficiency throughout your herd and feeder cattle. - Articles
Let New Technology Help with an Old School Chore
Evaluating the Body Condition Score of individual females in your cowherd should impact how you feed your herd during the winter months. - Articles
To Reimplant, or Not to Reimplant… That is the Question
Potential changes to the use of steroidal implants are coming June 2023. Beef cattle producers should stay informed. - Online Courses
$59.00
Farm Biosecurity Best Practices for Contractors, Vendors, and Visitors
Sections 2Length 2 hours, 30 minutesIf you visit farms, this online course will teach you best biosecurity practices and etiquette for keeping farms, animals, and people safe and productive. - Online Courses
$69.00
Applied Biogas Technology: Converting Organic Waste to Energy
Sections 5Length 3 hoursBiogas is renewable natural gas produced from organic waste. This course explains how biogas is produced, the equipment needed, and how to estimate yield. - Online Courses
$139.00
Beef Production and Management
Sections 7Length 19 hoursThis online course about raising beef cattle covers breeds, establishing facilities, nutrition and reproduction, and marketing and finances.