He Built A 150-Ft. Long Cattle Shade For $2,500
“It keeps cattle out of the hot sun and also protects them from rain and snow,” says Jared Neubauer, Hubbard, Iowa, about the 40-ft. wide, 150-ft. long shade canopy he set up last spring in his feedlot. It’s made of black shade material and is large enough to provide shade for at least 150 mature animals at one time.
Neubauer custom-feeds cattle and built the canopy for one of his customers, who wanted shade for his cattle to keep excessive heat from cutting down on the rate of gain. He says the shade cloth blocks 80 percent of the solar radiation that would reach the ground.
“We set the canopy up over a large bed pack area where we spread corn stalks,” says Neubauer. “Building our own canopy was an easy way to shade cattle, and relatively inexpensive to do. I bought the cloth online from QC Supply Company (www.qcsupply.com). It came in a 40-ft. wide roll with eyelets spaced 5 ft. apart on both sides.”
The canopy is 16 ft. high at one end and slopes down to 14 ft. at the other end, making it high enough for a big loader tractor to get underneath to clean out manure. It’s supported by six 16-ft. telephone poles, one at each corner and 2 in the middle, set 6 ft. deep in the ground. A 1/2-in. dia. cable runs through eyelets that run along both sides.
After setting the poles, Neubauer’s crew drilled holes through the top of the poles on all 4 corners. They strung cable through the eyelets the length of the canopy and into the poles, forming a loop of cable behind the poles and then clamping it off. Then they used a fence stretcher to pull both cables tight.
“Two friends and I put the canopy up in one weekend. I spent about $2,500 to build it. A commercial shade constructed over the same area would have cost at least $30,000,” says Neubauer.
“The 2 middle poles started to sag inward due to the weight of the canopy, so we bolted a big horizontal pipe on between the 2 middle poles as a brace. The lower end of the canopy was also sagging so we attached 1-in. wide ratchet straps every 5 ft. to the cable, in order to tighten it even more.”
He says this canopy is only the beginning. “Right now the cattle stand on concrete where they eat from feed bunks, and then they step off into the bedding pack. Eventually we plan to cover the entire feedlot with a cement floor and install a shade over everything.”
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Jared Neubauer, 20406 Co. Hwy. D 65, Hubbard, Iowa 50122 (ph 641 864-3197; jrn@netins.net).
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He Built A 150-Ft Long Cattle Shade For $2 500 BUILDINGS Miscellaneous “It keeps cattle out of the hot sun and also protects them from rain and snow ” says Jared Neubauer Hubbard Iowa about the 40-ft wide 150-ft long shade canopy he set up last spring in his feedlot It’s made of black shade material and is large enough to provide shade for at least 150 mature animals at one time
Neubauer custom-feeds cattle and built the canopy for one of his customers who wanted shade for his cattle to keep excessive heat from cutting down on the rate of gain He says the shade cloth blocks 80 percent of the solar radiation that would reach the ground
“We set the canopy up over a large bed pack area where we spread corn stalks ” says Neubauer “Building our own canopy was an easy way to shade cattle and relatively inexpensive to do I bought the cloth online from QC Supply Company www qcsupply com It came in a 40-ft wide roll with eyelets spaced 5 ft apart on both sides ”
The canopy is 16 ft high at one end and slopes down to 14 ft at the other end making it high enough for a big loader tractor to get underneath to clean out manure It’s supported by six 16-ft telephone poles one at each corner and 2 in the middle set 6 ft deep in the ground A 1/2-in dia cable runs through eyelets that run along both sides
After setting the poles Neubauer’s crew drilled holes through the top of the poles on all 4 corners They strung cable through the eyelets the length of the canopy and into the poles forming a loop of cable behind the poles and then clamping it off Then they used a fence stretcher to pull both cables tight
“Two friends and I put the canopy up in one weekend I spent about $2 500 to build it A commercial shade constructed over the same area would have cost at least $30 000 ” says Neubauer
“The 2 middle poles started to sag inward due to the weight of the canopy so we bolted a big horizontal pipe on between the 2 middle poles as a brace The lower end of the canopy was also sagging so we attached 1-in wide ratchet straps every 5 ft to the cable in order to tighten it even more ”
He says this canopy is only the beginning “Right now the cattle stand on concrete where they eat from feed bunks and then they step off into the bedding pack Eventually we plan to cover the entire feedlot with a cement floor and install a shade over everything ”
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Jared Neubauer 20406 Co Hwy D 65 Hubbard Iowa 50122 ph 641 864-3197; jrn@netins net
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