Portable Windbreaks Protect Livestock

Portable Windbreaks Protect Livestock LIVESTOCK Dairy (17) 21-6-7 Portable windbreaks work great to protect cattle in winter, says Canadian dairy producer Joel Waldner, who uses oilfield pipe and wood boards to make the 14-ft. long, 10-ft. high windbreaks. The windbreak's rectangular frame is made of 2 1/2-in. dia. oilfield pipe and is sup-ported at each end by a triangle-shaped base. One pipe is welded on horizontally about 3 ft. below the top of the frame and another pipe is welded on about 1 ft. above the ground. A series of 2 by 8-in. wooden boards spaced about 1 1/2 in. apart bolt vertically onto the frame. "We place them next to bunk feeders whenever we have problems with snow drifting and also inside corrals," says Waldner. "A windbreak that's 20 percent porous like ours will break the wind for about 100 ft. downwind. The open space at the top of the windbreak allows you to grab it with a front-end loader or forklift, and the open space at the bottom allows for manure buildup. We also build L-shaped or circular-shaped wind-breaks that offer more protection for small calves. They come in handy whenever we clean corrals - we put them aside and then put them back, in minutes. We use 2-in. thick boards because they won't warp and because their weight helps keep the windbreak stationary." Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Joel J. Waldner, Box 240, Warner, Alberta, Canada T0K 2L0 (ph 403 642-2111).

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