What is the cattle shed?
Designing a cow shed, also known as a dairy barn or cow barn, is a critical aspect of dairy farming. A well-designed cow shed provides a comfortable and productive environment for dairy cows while facilitating efficient management practices. This is a place for the cows to relax and sleep during the night. Each cow has their own place in the resting area, called cubicle. The cubicles must be covered with a roof made of iron sheets (Mabati), grass thatch or makuti.The cowshed is a combination house, with the cowshed at the western end and a sheep and goat shed in the eastern section. There is a small pigsty inside the cowshed. Above it is a hayloft. The barn is a traditional barn with a floor for threshing in the middle and grain storage on each side.
How much do cows shed?
Cattle have shed approximately half (50%) of their winter coat. In addition to the hair along the neck, this will include hair along the body, often in patchy spots. Cattle have shed 75% of their winter coat. There will be a small amount of hair remaining along their flank and hindquarter. As we move through spring and into summer, many cattle are shedding off their winter coats and exhibiting a slick or summer hair coat. The earlier cattle in environments that have hot and humid summer conditions shed their winter hair coat, the less heat stress they tend to experience.