The concrete used for a yard should be of a minimum of 25 MPa standard, with mesh reinforcing, standard 665 or higher. This is necessary to tolerate the unlikely, but possible, load of a farm tractor on it without cracking. Thickness of concrete 100 mm over 100 mm compacted fill. The surface must be a broomed finish, or equivalent, but definitely not steel floated.
The slope of the concrete to facilitate washing should be at least 1 : 40, especially if automatic washdown is envisaged. Circular yards should slope to a sump near the centre post. The slope of a rectangular yard should be chosen to suit the terrain with the least excavation or fill needed. The type of automatic wash system may influence these decisions.
Nib walls 150 mm high and 150 mm wide should be cast under all perimeter fences, except under gates, where nibs must be 300 mm wide and 100-120 mm high with rounded edges. At the yard entrance a second 300 x 120 nib should be cast 2 m from the one under the gate, parallel to it. If the area between the two nibs is horizontal, it may be used as a footbath, but the main purpose of the two nibs is to eliminate, or at least reduce, the number of pebbles kicked or carried into the yard from the farm race.
Perimeter fences must be at least 1.4 m high and the 5 m nearest the bail entrance should be railed. Wire below a top rail is acceptable elsewhere. Rails must be welded to the yard side of support posts. Yard size depends on the breed of cow. For small-framed cows, e.g. Jerseys, an area of 1.2 square metres per cow is required and for larger breeds, e.g. Friesians, 1.5 square metres per cow.
There are several factors that need to be considered before detailed yard design can be started.
Firstly, the type of yard - whether it is a circular or rectangular.
Circular Yards
Circular - advantages:-
More compact
Backing gate simpler and cheaper
Automatic washdown simpler
When full circle used, with two backing gates, simpler to accommodate multiple herds
Best suited to herds of less than 250 cows.
Curcular - disadvantages:-
Animal flowpath more difficult to control
Animals move at different speeds and on large circles the speed near the fence can easily go too high
Difficult to increase capacity once built
When yard nearly empty, a severely tapering enclosure can cause animals to become stressed.
Click here for more information on Circular Yards.
Rectangular Yards
Rectangular - advantages:-
All cows facing and moving in the same direction
All cows near the gate moving at the same pace
Relatively easy to extend to increase capacity
Handle large herds more successfully, especially with two backing gates.
Rectangular - disadvantages:-
Backing gates complex and relatively expensive
To cater for multiple herds, backing gate has to lift to move back over cows
Some issues with automatic washdown.
Click here for more information on Rectangular Yards
Pamphlets:-
Yards.......................................NZ$8.00 Foot Wash at Yard Entry.........NZ$5.00 Yard Fences............................NZ$5.00 Yard Washing..........................NZ$5.00 Flood Washing of Yards..........NZ$5.00 Automatic Washing of Yards...NZ$5.00
