Straw Bale Shelters Protect Calves

Straw Bale Shelters Protect Calves LIVESTOCK Beef 28-6-29 Jill and Bob Jensen, Leader, Sask. found a way to protect their calves in winter with a few straw bales and a few planks and some pipe. The 3-sided shelter, built with round bales set on end, is 4 bales deep and 32 ft. wide. A third row of bales, set in the middle of the shelter, helps support the weight of the roof. Once the round bales were in place, the Jensens laid 2 by 8 in. planks across the top, horizontally across each row, then laid used oilfield pipe across the planks. The planks keep the pipe from sinking into the round bales. The final step was to place square bales on top of the pipe to serve as a insulated roof. The Jensen's set up a series of bale shelters around the outside of the feedlot, which is fenced with hot wire. "The calves will go under the electric fence and into the shelter but the cows can't get there," says Bob. "Each shelter will protect about 30 calves." The Jensens build new shelters, using the same planks and pipe, every three or four years. "The bales eventually get used in ground feed," Bob explains. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Bob and Jill Jensen, Box 390, Leader, Sask. S0N 1A0 Canada (ph 306 967-2770).

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