Shelter is critical when taking care of calves. Hutches are commonly used to provide adequate shelter from the exposure to the elements like rain, wind, snow, and the sun. It’s important to understand how to properly set up and maintain hutches to keep your livestock safe and healthy.

In this article we’ll address everything you should consider to protect and maximize the efficiency of your hutches.

Calf Hutch Sanitation

Newborn calves have little immunity. Hutches isolate calves into a clean environment and help prevent the spread of disease. It’s important when maintaining hutches to ensure they are properly sanitized between calves. Follow these steps to clean your calf hutches:

1. Be sure that hutches are placed on a surface with adequate drainage to prevent the build up of water or urine within the hutch.
2. When moving calves into previously used hutches, always remove and replace bedding.
3. Hutches should be power washed with water and detergent, and properly sanitized between calves.
4. Whenever possible, hutches should be left empty for 10 days between calves.

These measures help keep calves healthy and prevent the transmission of disease.

Hutch Ventilation & Airflow

During warmer times of the year proper hutch ventilation is important. Many prefab hutches will include adjustable ventilation, allowing you to control airflow. However, if a hutch lacks ventilation or has inadequate ventilation, you can create additional airflow by raising the back of the hutch off of the ground using wood or cement blocks.

When colder weather moves in, limiting exposure to the cold becomes the top priority. Over time, hutches can become damaged through normal wear and elements, or from being moved. After a few years it can be common for cracks and holes to form. Damage can create drafts in hutches. Routinely check hutches for damage and drafts. In-between calves is a good time to do this.

If there are drafts, use shoe glue to fill small cracks or holes in fiberglass or plastic hutches. First clean the damaged area with isopropyl alcohol and apply the glue, ideally during mild, dry weather. Exposure can prevent glue from properly curing.

Hutch Placement & Positioning

When placing or moving calf hutches, you should consider how the hutches are positioned in relation to the prevailing winds. This includes taking into account how the wind is shaped by nearby buildings and structures. Being mindful of winds is important to ensure calves receive an adequate but comfortable flow of air. This can be especially important when factoring in the effects of colder winter temperatures. In some cases it may be necessary to construct windbreaks.

Positioning is also important in relation to available sunlight. Position hutches to the face the south in colder climates. Known as “solar south”, south-facing buildings receive more sunlight in the winter months. This provides additional warmth from the sun for the calf inside of the hutch. Conversely, as the warmer summer months begin, hutches can be re-positioned to face north to provide additional shade.

Upgrading Or Replacing Calf Hutches

Eventually, calf hutches will succumb to the wear and tear of the elements and farm life. It’s important for the health and safety of your calves that they receive adequate shelter. Farmer Boy has a large selection of prefabricated calf hutches designed to meet a variety of needs - from standard-sized individual hutches to Calf-Tel XXL hutch systems. View our full inventory to find the right hutch for your needs.

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