Farming is a profitable business. With good timing of the weather seasons, growing the right kind of crops and rearing certain breeds of animals will make you a fortune when they mature. Particularly, keeping cows is a good agricultural venture. You have the option to choose between dairy cows for milk production or heifers for commercial meat sales. Either way, you will need a good farm shed to provide a home for your cows and have space for storing feeds and equipment. If you want to build a cow shed for the first time, here are the top three things you need to keep in mind: 

Choose the Right Location

Location is an important aspect when designing and building a cowshed. Examine the whole farm and choose a site that will not interfere with the functionality of other structures. It should also allow for the expansion of the venture as the animals bear calves in the future. The location of the shed should allow you to carry out routine maintenance with ease and allow the animals to access grazing and utility areas with ease. Lastly, make sure that the location does not expose your animals to harmful weather elements such as extreme cold. For example, don't situate the shed overlooking slopes that experience strong winds. 

Consider Legal Requirements 

It's normal for local authorities to keep a keen eye on farming and other commercial activities. They must do so to ensure that your venture does not harm other people or the immediate environment. Therefore, it is important to learn about the planning and building requirements in your locality to make sure that your structure meets all the compliance regulations. For instance, the planning requirements stipulate a certain distance between rivers and the location where you dump your animal effluent. 

Maximise Functionality

Functionality is key to ensuring that your animals are comfortable and safe. Lack of comfort leads to stress among animals, which results in less productivity. Use fibre cement for building the floors and walls of the structure. When it heals, the structure provides a cow-friendly surface for the animals to lean and rest. Additionally, fibre cement offers better ventilation over ordinary cement, reducing the chances of condensation when it gets too cold. Your animals will be warm and comfortable. Moreover, consider using translucent sheets for the roof. It will offer better lighting to help you manage lighting costs in the shed.

For more information, contact local contractors that build rural sheds. 

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