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FarmTek Beefmaster hoop barns?
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Gary, Eastern Iowa
Posted 2/12/2011 20:16 (#1610317 - in reply to #1610191)
Subject: Re: FarmTek Beefmaster hoop barns?


Gary Edwards Anamosa, Iowa

Overall performance of cattle has been the plus to the building.  Cattle are comfortable year around (get the vented model).  By the time they got to 1400 pounds they were starting to get crowded laying on the bedded portion (back 26 feet) of the building (220 head in 250 foot building).  I don't think I would put more than 225 head of fat Holsteins in it.  We went with the wood because it was cheaper and faster for us.  We added hog panels to the open area above the wall - with a 5 foot wall and deep bedding the steers would stick their head out the opening or chew on the curtain depending on time of year.  We got the fabric ends but I think we will eventually convert to steel ends and door.  The fabric doors are junk.  The fabric roof has a ratchet every 5 feet that I had to tighten twice the first year.  As long as you keep it tight I don't know how the wind could hurt it.  I haven't had it long enough to know how the fabric will hold up to the sun, but it comes in three pieces and would be relatively easy and cheap to replace.
We have 3 waters down the center of the building with railroad ties on each side.  One water is in the middle (125 feet) and the other two are 41 feet from each end.  I have gates so I can divide into two large and two small pens at the waterer's.  Today when we worked the calves we divided the building in the center, run all the calves to one end and set the chute up in the middle on the concrete apron behind the bunks.  We take two 12 foot corral panels and chain in the corner for a sick pen. (Have my blind calf with polio in there now).  If we need to give a shot we close one of the gates at the water, chain a coral panel to it and use as a squeeze gate.
When cleaning the cement apron with just one person we move the manure to the end pen shut the gates at the water and open outside gate to load spreader.  Same procedure in reverse to bring in fresh cornstalk bales.
The only thing I would do different, other than ends, is to make the side walls 11 feet tall. Our TMR wagon is 10 feet tall and if not careful will catch the awning.
If you can make concrete wall easily, I think that is the way I would go.  We had to backfill dirt up the outside of the wood walls as they started to bow out a little when the dry pack was up a foot or so and the cattle laid against the wall.
They do take a lot of bedding (almost 2 round cornstalk bales/head), but we also keep one bale in a ring for them to chew on instead of the wood.
The Beefmaster is very similar to the beefhoop building (www.beefhoop.com) except the beefhoop provides all materials except concrete.  Look at the pictures on the beefhoop site for different pen setups if you plan on having different size calves in the building.  May take more waterers is all.  The Beefmaster is only the steel, hardware, and fabric, you have to provide wood or concrete for walls.  When I got my Beefmaster it came with feed bunk brackets that you bolt to concrete and add wood to finish.  They don't have them anymore (to similar to beefhoop's???)

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