Innovative Calf Housing with 160 Smart Indoor Pens in Barver
A forward-thinking calf housing project was recently completed in Barver, fully aligned with the latest insights in animal welfare, ease of use, and future-proof farm management. A total of 160 indoor calf pens were installed, each offering 3 m² of lying space per calf, designed to ensure optimal health and comfort.
Flexible Group Setup and Smart Design
The calf housing consists of individual indoor pens, thoughtfully designed with practical details:
✓Dividable front gates allow for quick and easy manure removal, saving valuable labor time.
✓Removable partition walls (1.0 meter high) make the setup highly flexible. After approximately two weeks, these walls are taken out to form group pens for five calves. This approach combines the benefits of individual housing in the early life stage with group housing as the calves grow.
✓Every fifth partition wall, with a height of 1.2 meters, remains in place to maintain structure and calmness in the barn.
This modular layout not only promotes the social behavior of the calves but also provides significant practical advantages for the farmer.
Rear Wall with Ventilation Grille
At the rear, a wall with an integrated ventilation grille measuring 1.2 meters in height was installed. This promotes continuous air circulation and helps maintain a healthy barn climate, essential for supporting good lung health in young calves.
Smart, practical, and future-oriented – that’s the strength of this project. The setup in Barver demonstrates how Topcalf and the farmer work together to invest in a healthy start for every calf and in efficient farm management for the future.
