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Calf Hutch Shelter
A Wisconsin manufacturer says his new Calf Hutch "Cover-All" provides a low-cost shelter that can be used with existing hutches.
The "Cover-All" is a 12-ft. wide, 11-ft. long, 9-ft. 4-in. high open-ended structure designed to be used between two rows of hutches. Each unit serves four hutches. You line two hutches up on each side and place them against openings along the side. The polyethylene roof has a silver color to reflect sunlight. Tethered calves can get exercise under the cover but are kept separate by divider panels that attach to the sides. The panels reduce the transmission of disease and can be quickly removed for cleaning out manure.
"It keeps calves dry in all kinds of weather and lowers the temperature about 14 degrees in hot weather," says Ralph Baetz, RC Sales, Hartford, Wis. "Calf hutches are one of the best things that ever happened to calves, but until now operator comfort has been largely forgotten. This cover makes it a lot more pleasant to work with calves.
"Removing manure is easy with the Cover-All. You just pull one pin to remove each panel and then use a skid steer loader. There's about 7 ft. of vertical clearance on each side so clearance isn't a problem. You can also pull the hutches back so that you can clean manure outside the structure.
"It's designed to be used as a permanent structure although you can move it if you want. Eight steel stakes are used to anchor it to the ground. Multiple units can be placed end to end and tied together so that you can expand as needed. Any type of hutch can be used including wooden ones. The roof has a 9-in. overhang over the hutches to keep calves completely dry.
"Each unit comes complete with two divider panels. However, there's room for six panels so if you're concerned about wind you can put extra panels on each side."
A single 4-stall unit sells for $1,275.
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, RC Sales, W 1008 E. Iowa Road, Hartford, Wis. 53027 (ph 414 673-5229).


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1996 - Volume #20, Issue #6