Transitioning a dairy barn from milk cows to beef may seem like an easy process on the surface. But not all bovines are created equal.
Just because a barn was built to house dairy doesn’t mean it’s ready to be a home for beef.
According to Taylor Zahn, a livestock educator with Penn State Extension in York County, more former dairy farmers have been contacting her office to inquire about what it takes to transition their barns to raise beef.
The answer isn’t simple.
“They have all these buildings and they’re looking to get into beef, but beef production is quite different from dairy,” Zahn said. “You have to ask yourself if it’s worthwhile to transition your barn for beef when you consider location, ventilation, resting and feeding areas, manure handling and cost.”
Zahn has been traveling the state with Extension beef specialist Tara Felix and agricultural engineers John Tyson and Dan McFarland to give presentations on converting dairy barns for beef.
According to a USDA report, the number of dairy farms in the United States dropped 6% in 2021, and Pennsylvania lost more than 200 farms. Farmers who have left dairy have the barns and want to keep some cows in them, and make some money.
Most of the barns in question, she said, our freestall or bank barns, and each represents a unique case.
With bank barns, the main challenge is available space for the number of beef cattle a farmer wants to raise. According to data from Penn State Extension, a feeder animal weighing between 44 and 800 pounds needs 20 to 25 square feet on a bedded pack setting. Finishing cattle have a space requirement of 30 to 35 square feet, per animal. In addition, Zahn said 12 inches of feed bunk space per animal is needed.
“The biggest problem with bank barns is the square footage. You can’t overstock,” she said. “That’s what really stops people.”
Ventilation is another consideration when it comes to converting a bank barn for beef cattle.
Beef cattle produce a lot of heat, Zahn said, and without proper airflow manure accumulation inside a barn can become messy. A lack of ventilation prevents the manure from becoming dry, and the excess moisture can impact cattle and the barn itself.
“Ventilation is a pretty new topic for beef producers. Some people will install fans in a bank barn, and one person we worked with removed the floor above and opened the upstairs doors to allow air to flow in,” Zahn said.
One benefit of a bank barn is animals are usually turned outside for part of the day, which reduces the challenge of inadequate space. Some producers place their feed bunks outside under a roof and use the barn for shelter, Zahn said.
When it comes to a freestall barn, the transition to beef brings different considerations.
Source: lancasterfarming.com
Photo Credit: gettyimages-simplycreativephotography
Categories: Pennsylvania, Livestock