Housing and Fencing for Cattle
Your cow needs a place to live. And she needs to stay where you put her. Those are two separate problems, and both cost money. Let’s talk about shelter first, then fencing.
Shelter Options for Beef Cattle
Beef cattle are pretty tough. They can stay outside most of the time as long as they have some kind of windbreak or basic shelter. You don’t need a fancy barn. Here are your main options:
Single Slope Roof Shed (Lean-To): Exactly what it sounds like. A roof that slopes one direction, usually attached to an existing structure or standing on its own. It blocks wind and rain from one direction. Simple, cheap, gets the job done.
Open Sided Pole Barn: A structure with three walls and an open front. This gives cattle a place to get out of the weather while still having easy access in and out. It’s a step up from a lean-to and works well for small herds.
Hoop Barn: A semicircular roof built on a steel frame and covered with fabric. These are gaining popularity because they’re relatively affordable and require less maintenance than traditional barns. The curved shape handles snow load well and provides good airflow.
Shelter Options for Dairy Cattle
Dairy cows usually need to come inside at night. So your shelter setup is more involved. You can use any of the beef options above, but dairy operations also have these specific setups:
Tie Stall: The cow is secured in her individual spot using a chain or rope. She stays put, eats, and gets milked right there. It’s traditional and works, but the cow doesn’t have freedom to move around.
Free Stall: The cow can enter and leave her stall whenever she wants. She has her own space to lie down but can walk around the barn freely. More comfortable for the cow, and many farmers prefer this setup.
Bedded Packed Barn: An open floor plan covered with bedding. No individual stalls. Cows share the space. The upside is low construction cost. The downside is you’ll spend a lot on bedding throughout the year. It adds up.
Stanchions: Holding Cows for Milking
A stanchion is an upright steel mechanism that holds a cow’s head in place while you milk her. There are three main types:
Scissor: Two pieces cross like scissors to hold the cow’s neck.
Positive Control: A more secure hold that gives the cow less room to move her head.
Fully Opening: Swings completely open so the cow can enter and exit easily. Most convenient for the farmer.
Which one you pick depends on your cows’ temperament and your milking routine. Calmer cows do fine with a basic scissor stanchion. More restless ones might need positive control.
Bedding Options
Whatever shelter you use, you need bedding. Here are the common choices:
Straw: The classic choice. Lay it about 4 inches deep. It’s comfortable and absorbent. But it’s expensive, and you’ll go through a lot of it. Needs regular replacement.
Sand: Soft and comfortable for cows. Good for joint health. But it’s heavy to move around, and it can be hard on your manure handling equipment.
Mats and Mattresses: Rubber mats or foam mattresses that go on the floor. They’re reusable and washable. Higher upfront cost but you’re not constantly buying replacement bedding. A lot of farms are going this route.
Calf Hutches
Baby calves need their own space for the first weeks of life. Hutches are small, individual plastic shelters sized for one calf. They’re used from birth up to about 8 weeks old.
Place them facing south to catch sunlight and warmth. Put them on sand or gravel for drainage so the calf isn’t sitting in a puddle every time it rains. They’re cheap, portable, and easy to clean between calves.
Now Let’s Talk Fencing
Fencing is one of the biggest expenses when starting with cattle. And there’s no getting around it. Your options matter because they affect cost, safety, and how much maintenance you’ll be doing for years to come.
Woven Wire
This is the grid-type fencing you’ve probably seen. Horizontal and vertical wires woven together in a pattern.
Pros: It’s safe and long-lasting. Once it’s up, it works well for years.
Cons: Expensive. Time-consuming to install. Heavy animals can lean on it and stretch it out over time. And small calves can sometimes get their heads caught in the openings, which is exactly as bad as it sounds.
High Tensile
Springy steel wire strung between posts with more spacing between them.
Pros: You need fewer posts, so you cover more ground faster. The wire doesn’t stretch and sag the way woven wire can.
Cons: If a cow hits it at full speed, it can cause serious injury. The wire is also harder to work with during installation. Not the most beginner-friendly option.
Electric
Posts, wire, and a charger that sends a short pulse of electricity through the fence. The shock isn’t meant to hurt the animal. It’s meant to train her. After a few encounters with the fence, cattle learn to stay away from it.
You can run up to 6 strands of wire. The charger is the important piece. There are three types:
Low Impedance: Handles vegetation touching the wire without losing much power. Good for areas where grass might grow up into the fence.
Solid-State: Reliable and consistent. The traditional choice.
Battery/Solar: For locations without easy access to power. Solar chargers are popular for remote pastures.
One important note: if you’re fencing in a bull, you need 3,000 to 4,000 volts minimum. Bulls will test a fence that wouldn’t even slow down a cow. Don’t cheap out on the charger if you’re keeping a bull.
Barbed Wire
Here’s the thing about barbed wire: don’t use it. It’s no longer recommended for cattle. Those barbs can cause serious cuts, and cuts lead to infections, and infections can kill an animal. The risk isn’t worth the savings. Use one of the other options.
Making the Choice
Your shelter and fencing decisions come down to three things: what type of cattle you’re raising, how much you can spend upfront, and how much ongoing work you want to do.
Beef cattle need less shelter but still need good fencing. Dairy cattle need more shelter and infrastructure. And whatever you build, build it right the first time. Fixing a collapsed shelter or replacing bad fencing costs more than doing it properly from the start.
This post is part of a series retelling and reviewing Backyard Farming: Raising Cattle by Kim Pezza (ISBN: 978-1-57826-495-7).