I have butted heads with my father in law or (old fool) no disrespect but... over air flow in the barn. Well he likes to "tighten up the barn", as he says, I mean close every window, put saw dust on the floor by the cracks under the door, or feed bags, hes just nuts. Well you go in the barn and the windows are dripping wet, the walls the doors, and even the dam scrapers and pitch fork handels are wet to touch. He has a fan set at 50 degrees, sometimes its off sometimes its on. I like to leave the windows open to let in some fresh air, and I read in Hoards, you need as much air coming in as you have going out! We fought with him for useing no bedding in the concrete tie stalls, so my wife, and her mother finally forced him to buy rubber mats. Now were dealing with this stupid mentallity from the 20s, of "tighting up the barn" buy the way these are beef cows, not dairy. Anyway how can I balance a resonable tempature and a warm barn with out it dripping wet from the cows breathing in there. Not 80degrees or anything. How do you guys go about ventalation in the winter. Thanks JayinNY
- Thread starter JayinNY
- Start date
Jay, don't know if it will work in your barn but we installed a curtain like a hog barn would have that opens from the top down. also what might work in an older building is installing the roof spinner vents. they are very effective in removing steam and condesation from a closed up barn. Roger
Beef animals? Put in the plastic flap doors, let them decide if they want in or out, they do better with less coughing in the cold than in the damp. Was minus 15 here, they spent 1/2 the time outdoors. No coughing. Might be about 20-25 inside the barn.
I had a dad, I understand - getting there from here is your problem.
--->Paul
I had a dad, I understand - getting there from here is your problem.
--->Paul
LeonardWD45
Member
Jay, does your FIL store his hay in the barn? If so, use the argument that the less moisture in the barn will keep the hay from molding and also keep the wood rot to a minimum. I know replacing rotted wood is not easy or cheap.
Leonard
Leonard
just another old geezer
Member
Sounds like he's used to keeping dairy cows. His problem is he does not see that animal husbandry ideas have changed over the years. In the old days, cows were to be kept warm and dry, and let out for an hour or two a day to be cleaned and bedded.
First you need a vetenary's opinion of proper ventilation and tempratures' for these animals.(don't need to call a vet out, a short speaker phone conversation should do) Have him there for it. He might respect a "professional" opinion. Work with him keep down drafts, but still get proper ventilation.
My Dad was raised in a time before electricity. venitlating the barn while still keeping it from freezing was a tricky job. he lived in fear of drafts and wind changes overnight that might lead to frozen pipes. These fears carried over to the modern times and he always looked for ways to Seal up" the barn.
Find publications /building plans for him to look at. try to show him that the ideas of keeping animals are changing.
He may be in fear of frost damage to the concrete floor or walls. try to come up with a solution that is healthy for the cattle but preserves the barn
First you need a vetenary's opinion of proper ventilation and tempratures' for these animals.(don't need to call a vet out, a short speaker phone conversation should do) Have him there for it. He might respect a "professional" opinion. Work with him keep down drafts, but still get proper ventilation.
My Dad was raised in a time before electricity. venitlating the barn while still keeping it from freezing was a tricky job. he lived in fear of drafts and wind changes overnight that might lead to frozen pipes. These fears carried over to the modern times and he always looked for ways to Seal up" the barn.
Find publications /building plans for him to look at. try to show him that the ideas of keeping animals are changing.
He may be in fear of frost damage to the concrete floor or walls. try to come up with a solution that is healthy for the cattle but preserves the barn
You got one of them too...
If ya can get rid of him for the day, go open the damn doors after he leaves. At least that way you'll get an air change in a hurry. Opening the upstairs would probably help too but you also need an inlet below somewhere to facilitate air movement.... Curtains work great because they have a modest opening over the length of the building which allows for a large area of the wall to be open and prevent high velocity movement of air which causes drafts...
Really tho... I don't think there's much you're going to do about this problem until you either kick him clear of the barn or he drops dead. I've been fighting the same battle with the same mentality for a long, LONG time and it doesn't get better. It does get worse.
Rod
If ya can get rid of him for the day, go open the damn doors after he leaves. At least that way you'll get an air change in a hurry. Opening the upstairs would probably help too but you also need an inlet below somewhere to facilitate air movement.... Curtains work great because they have a modest opening over the length of the building which allows for a large area of the wall to be open and prevent high velocity movement of air which causes drafts...
Really tho... I don't think there's much you're going to do about this problem until you either kick him clear of the barn or he drops dead. I've been fighting the same battle with the same mentality for a long, LONG time and it doesn't get better. It does get worse.
Rod
just another old geezer
Member
Understanding his reasons for why he does things the way he does might be helpful to reaching a workable solution.
Uncle Ernice
Member
You could just klunk him over the head...with information I mean.
Beefers do best outside with lots of hay and the choice of shelter if they want it. I hate to think of a barn full of beefers. Hard on them I bet! Disease and pnumonia concerns abound.
Bestof luck.
Beefers do best outside with lots of hay and the choice of shelter if they want it. I hate to think of a barn full of beefers. Hard on them I bet! Disease and pnumonia concerns abound.
Bestof luck.
formerly ny bill
Well-known Member
how can you keep a calf healthy in those conditions? seems like the animals would be coughing. i have dairy cows in a freestall that is open to the south. air gets pretty fresh at times, but respiration is never a problem.
i don't have any suggestions to help you. my old barn was nice and cozy in the winter, but the cows/calves suffered at times. the freestall was designed with frostproof waterers, skidsteer clean, etc, so cold doesn't hurt operation, just makes the workers move a little faster.
btw, i'm already sick of winter on general principles.
i don't have any suggestions to help you. my old barn was nice and cozy in the winter, but the cows/calves suffered at times. the freestall was designed with frostproof waterers, skidsteer clean, etc, so cold doesn't hurt operation, just makes the workers move a little faster.
btw, i'm already sick of winter on general principles.
Holy moly! With beef cows? I just have open sided barns for mine,open to the south. Only time they go near those is if the wind is blowing hard. It can be snowing like crazy and they'll be right out in it. Same with the ones that I'm finishing,open sided barns,feed bunks and bale feeders are outside.
When I milked cows I had 44 stanchions. I had a 36 inch fan on the south side and probably 98% of the time,I only had the west windows closed. There were 7 windows on the north side and I left them open for the fan to draw clean air in.
That's gotta be a huge health problem with that much moisture and heat. Respiratory problems galore I'll bet.
When I milked cows I had 44 stanchions. I had a 36 inch fan on the south side and probably 98% of the time,I only had the west windows closed. There were 7 windows on the north side and I left them open for the fan to draw clean air in.
That's gotta be a huge health problem with that much moisture and heat. Respiratory problems galore I'll bet.
Thats why I leave the windows on the east side open, hes not down here very much as he had open heart surgury in November, so I can control what goes on. Since 02 I have had to take care of his cows off and on, but If he comes down to the barn I know he is eying the place up. The times I dont have to do his chores he goes nuts sealing up the place. I leave my beef cows out year round, they have a shed, you think he would see that they can be fine in the cold. I dont know, hes done this all his life and had no problems, but its not for me.
Anonymous-0
Well-known Member
This goes back over 20 years.Friend used to help me in the barn.I had a dozen beef cattle tied up like milk cows and a few calves.JR noted I never had any sick cows or calves,A dairy farmer he worked for had a very tight barn and the cows were always sick.I used to let the cows out in winter unless it was icy underfoot.Cows like bedding.When my Jersey got loose I always found her laying in the sawdust pile.I keep 2 cows and a steer now.
Nebraska Cowman
Well-known Member
Who's cows are they?
I understand, I really do....... I had the same issues with my dad. It got to the point that he did his things at his farm his way and I did mine my way. If I helped him at his place I simply did what he wanted and he tried when he helped me at my place to do things my way. Now, I just wish I hadnt wasted so much time stressing or disagreeing. I'd just be glad to have him back doing it his way.
Anonymous-0
Well-known Member
He sounds like a friend of mine ,stubborn and not too smart.He wanted to go to a store he saw advertised.Last time he was in the same area he was lost for 2 hours.He asked me to go with him in his truck.I told him to turn left so we could use a bypass route.He refused and took a route that went thru 2 cites with bad traffic and a lot of stop lites.We could have gotten there in 1/4 of the time on the bypass.The bypass has light traffic this time of year.We call people like that boulder heads here.I took him from a Doctors office to the hospital when he had a gall bladder attack.He was in a lot of pain but took time to complain about the route I took.It was a fast route with no stop lights.I told him to get out and walk next time.
Nebraska Cowman
Well-known Member
You would do well to take care of them the way he wants it done.
randallinMo
Member
So if the cows are fine, it appears as if you are the one with the problem. He's in his 80's? sounds to me like it has worked for him for a long time. No, his ways may not be as good as yours, but his hasn't been a disaster either. Chill out man, try to enjoy what he can teach you.
My situation is reversed. I'm the old man, my son fights me on everything we do together. At least it used to be like that. He has his farm, I have mine. We help each other a lot. I got to the point that I'd do anything he wanted "his way" on his farm. I was surprised, some of his "dumb" ideas actually worked! When we're on my farm working he likes to "takeover" and do it his way still. I"ve learned, what the heck, let him do it. It's easier on me. He's "always" right. But when he doesn't know something, he comes to the "old man" and asks questions. I like that.
My situation is reversed. I'm the old man, my son fights me on everything we do together. At least it used to be like that. He has his farm, I have mine. We help each other a lot. I got to the point that I'd do anything he wanted "his way" on his farm. I was surprised, some of his "dumb" ideas actually worked! When we're on my farm working he likes to "takeover" and do it his way still. I"ve learned, what the heck, let him do it. It's easier on me. He's "always" right. But when he doesn't know something, he comes to the "old man" and asks questions. I like that.
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