Homemade Dairy Calf Huts

Calf huts are used to house calves from birth to weaning, and are considered a more controlled housing situation for managing young than calf barns, according to the University of Wisconsin Department of Cooperative Extension. House calves in individual huts prevents the spread of disease, leading to better feed conversion rates, and calf survival. Huts are inexpensive to build and can house calves for the first eight weeks of life. If sanitised and maintained, a single hut can be used repeatedly to house calves.

Things You'll Need

  • 4 sheets of exterior grade plywood, 8 foot long
  • 8 pressure treated 2-by-4-inch boards, 8 foot long
  • 3 pressure treated 2-by-2-inch boards, 8 foot long
  • Measuring tape
  • Pencil
  • Circular saw
  • 2-inch nails
  • Hammer
  • 4 Eye bolts
  • Rope
  • 4 Tie down stakes
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Instructions

    • 1

      Cut lumber into the necessary pieces for construction using the circular saw. Cut two 4-by-4-foot squares from the plywood. Cut three 4-by-8-foot rectangles of plywood. Cut eight sections of 2-by-4-inch board, 4 feet long. Cut six sections of 2-by-2 inch board, 4 feet long.

    • 2

      Build a u-shaped frame to form the bottom of the hut. Lay out two of the 8-foot 2-by-4 inch boards, and one of the 4-foot long 2-by-4 inch boards in a U pattern and nail them together with 2-inch galvanized nails.

    • 3

      Frame the door of the calf hutch. Create a u-shape from three of the 2-by-4-inch boards that are 4 feet long. Nail them together using the 2-inch nails. Stand the door frame up at the front of the front of the floor frame and nail the 2-by-4-inch boards on the floor and the 2-by-4-inch boards that form the door together.

    • 4

      Create a second u-shaped form from 4-foot long 2-by-4-inch boards. Set the u at the back of the floor frame and nail it into position to frame the back wall of the hut.

    • 5

      Stabilize the frame but nailing 8 foot long 2-by-4-inch boards between the door frame and back wall frame. These boards should be nailed to the top of the frame, to form the huts ceiling.

    • 6

      Nail 2-by-2-inch boards into the frame for reinforcement. Nail two boards into each side of the hut, and two into the roof. 2-by-2 inch boards should be nailed into the frame 31.6 inches from the door, and 31.6 inches from the rear.

    • 7

      Nail 4-by-8-foot rectangles of plywood on the top and sides of the of the hut. These form the main outer body of the hut.

    • 8

      Nail the 4-by-4-foot square of plywood on the back of the hut.

    • 9

      Cut two right triangles with 6-inch long sides from the plywood scraps using a circular saw.

    • 10

      Nail the triangles of plywood into the top corners of the door. This will stabilize the door frame, and prevent it from changing shape.

    • 11

      Screw eye bolts into all four corners of the roof. Ropes can be tied to these eye bolts to lift and move the calf hut with a tractor. A calf halter and lead can also be fastened to one of the front eye bolts to tie a calf out if you do not want to build individual fenced yards at each hut.

    • 12

      Use tie down stakes to anchor the hut firmly to the ground at each of the four corners. This will prevent the calf and the wind from turning it over.