With an increased push for a healthy, organic, and balanced diet, the demand for high-quality proteins has been rising in recent times. This has made livestock farming for dairy and meat a lucrative business.
To leverage this opportunity and ensure the production of high-quality meat and dairy products desired by consumers, it’s essential to provide flocks and herds with the best possible shelter and living conditions. This is where Agri Span and similar modern livestock structures designed for safely housing animals for commercial farming come in.
Livestock housing plays a critical role in ensuring the animals are healthy and productive, resulting in better yields and lower expenses associated with treatments or losses due to illnesses among commercial herds and flocks.
Read on and explore the salient features that contribute to making a high-quality structure for housing livestock in order to create high-welfare conditions and base the criteria for selecting the ideal shelter for your farm.
What to prioritise when selecting livestock structures for your farm Sufficient space and comfort One of the main features of high-quality structures for livestock housing is the availability of abundant space.
When housed together, cattle, sheep, goats, and pigs need more space to move around and remain healthy. A cramped space can also lead to stress, compromising the animals’ health and overall yields from the operation.
As a general rule of thumb within enclosures, farmers should provide at least 75-100 square feet of space per meat or dairy cow, around 48 square feet per pig, and between 20 and 25 square feet of space per goat or sheep. That said, this can vary depending on the type, breed, and age of the animal.
Adequate ventilation Good ventilation is essential in structures used for housing livestock and ample natural airflow into the structure is seen as the best option as it helps remove excess moisture and ammonia, which can cause health and respiratory issues in animals, circulating within the structure.
Having good ventilation within the structure also helps regulate temperature and maintain high air quality, which can reduce the risk of disease and encourage healthy rates of growth among commercial flocks and herds.
So any premium structure for livestock housing should have side netting that allows sufficient airflow to control and maintain optimal temperature and humidity levels within the shelter.
Proper levels of lighting Natural lighting is an often-overlooked factor in livestock housing even though it’s critical to the growth and development of animals.
Good natural lighting can help regulate the circadian rhythm, which can contribute towards natural and relaxed behaviours in animals and impact feeding behaviour positively for better productivity.
So livestock farmers should make sure that animals get at least 16 hours of light per day and semi-permanent livestock structures can be the ideal shelter that helps commercial farming operations make full use of natural lighting. As the premium-grade modular structures in this category come with a transparent light strip across the roof sheet, they can assist in drawing natural light into the shelter.
Robustness and durability The higher-end livestock structures are made to the best production standards and from sturdy materials that can withstand the most adverse climates while resisting wear and tear to provide long-lasting protection.
With regard to the seasonal changes in temperature and weather, the shelter should protect animals well against the elements, such as heavy rains, extensive wind loads, and extreme temperatures, as well as from predators and parasites.
Speak to an expert at McGregor to guide you in identifying the right livestock structures for your farm.
Our teams of specialists have helped commercial livestock housing farms across the UK for over four decades in swiftly deploying industry-leading modular shelters for high-welfare livestock housing, lambing, and calving—Agri Span. Reach out to our team and explore the best layout for your farm.
We can assist you in integrating the best setup that meets all of the specific livestock housing requirements on your farm for an investment that will maximise results and yields from your livestock business for decades into the future.