Health of man and beast at the forefront of Roundhouse design
Generating profit from beef cattle relies on maximising growth rates and feed conversion, but neither will happen to the degree that is necessary, unless the environment for the animals is right from an early age, all the way through to the final finishing stages. Despite this, very few farm buildings provide the consistent level of ventilation that is necessary to ensure a sufficiently good airflow, to maximise health and contentment.
Open sided buildings can provide good airflow, but young calves need to be kept free of draughts, which can be defined as an airflow rate greater than 3mph. They should also have an environment free of dust, with low humidity, and ideally enough germs to give the calves immunity, but not too many for them to get infected with a disease.
The importance of being able to breathe well can be demonstrated by stating that people and animals can go without food for several weeks, and water for a few days. But try missing out on air. Then try to imagine being shut in a room with lots of other people for a sustained period of time. The room may be fine to begin with, but imagine what it would be like after 24 hours with no fresh air. Then imagine what it would be like for a week, or a month.
Good ventilation relies on the stacking effect – whereby air flows in through the sides and out through the top of a building’s peak. The problem is that few buildings are not affected by other factors which disrupt this airflow. These factors include other nearby buildings and doorways.
Geoff Simpson, who designed the Roundhouse back in 2001 in conjunction with partner John Allinson, did so with the environmental needs of cattle in mind, married to the best handling system to reduce stress and make managing the cattle as easy as possible.
The round shape and the carefully designed hole in the centre, ensures the stack ventilation effect always
works. It also keeps draughts to a minimum meaning cattle stay protected and warm. On a cold day, steam can be seen funneling out of the hole in the roof, proving that the air is flowing through the building and not forming pockets of stagnant air, where disease can form.
As well as improved airflow, the Roundhouse boasts, what Roundhouse MD Simon Pelly believes, is the best handling system available. “Working with cattle can be dangerous. An average of 49 people each year are killed in farming, with livestock related fatalities accounting for 8% of those. Safe cattle handling therefore needs to be at the forefront of any livestock farmers mind when deciding on their next building”.
For more information on the Roundhouse, visit their website at www.roundhousesolutions.co.uk
