Farmers know their livestock aren’t just farm animals. They’re your investment. Your livelihood. You’ve monitored their health, pregnancy, and birthing records. You’ve kept track of feed purchases, pasture time, and market weights. The loss of just one animal is a setback. Imagine having several losses and knowing you could have prevented them.
Sure, you have insurance to cover losses. But losses mean time and money. And in some situations, years' worth of careful genetic selection.
The loss culprit I’m referring to is the weather. You might be thinking, “But I can’t control the weather.” And you’d be right. There’s no denying the strength of Mother Nature.
But you can control the actions you take to prepare for the weather.
Preparation comes in the form of having adequate livestock shelters in place. Think of livestock buildings as the Star Trek force fields of your pasture. These pole barn-type of structures are the peace of mind you need to protect your herd.
Because – candidly speaking – no benefit comes from dead livestock.
That's a brutal reality. One that most farmers have faced more than once in their lifetime.
It doesn’t have to be that tough. There’s a way to avoid losses through the placement and use of portable livestock barns on your farm.
Let’s take a closer look at how a portable shelter becomes one of your most valuable and trusted farmhands – and a farmhand who doesn’t grumble about the job, I will gladly point out. That right there is worth its weight in gold!
Protection for your livestock
For the purposes of this article, we’ll use cattle as our example. But no matter the type of livestock you have, portable livestock barns provide your animals with protection from the elements. Rain, snow, ice, wind, and heat are factors that animals need shelter from. All these conditions can cause damage to your herd.
Cold, wet conditions are a risk for livestock loss
We’ve all lived long enough to see strange weather patterns. And if we haven’t, we’ve heard our elders talk about the big storm that caught them off guard. Early snowstorms in the fall and unexpected snowstorms in late spring come as an unwelcome surprise. Especially right as the calving season starts.
A cow’s coat grows to follow the path of nature’s changing seasons. But when the weather changes unexpectedly, the coat is unprepared.
Cattle depend on their coat condition to maintain body heat. When the coat becomes wet during cold weather conditions, the ability to stay warm is almost impossible. When wet, the coat loses the ability to insulate.
These wet conditions also create a muddy lot. Standing or laying in cold, muddy areas reduces the cows' ability to stay warm and dry.
Portable livestock buildings provide a dry space for your cows to stay out of the cold, damp air.
Wind chill causes additional stress on livestock
You may ask, "What about those 'normal' weather years?" You know – those years that seem to have a change of seasons without much fanfare. The cows have nice thick coats heading into winter. You’re feeling pretty good about this year ending without any surprises.
But you’re a farmer - not a meteorologist. You know better than to get your hopes up relating to the weather. You have the experience and knowledge to know your hopes can be dashed in an instant.
And here it is.
A cold rain and ice storm come through your county.
The worst part is the wind chill factor. The chill causes increased stress on the cows. Your cows may have a sufficient coat, but the lower temps cause more energy loss. As a result, the cows will need to consume more feed to account for this energy loss.
Portable livestock buildings provide a warm space for your cows to conserve energy and protect them against the wind.
Heat stress can be unbearable for your livestock
Cattle tend to keep heat in during the day and release heat out at night. Heat builds up from sun exposure and lack of air movement. Radiant heat from dirt and cemented areas also adds to the heat load.
Cattle don’t really sweat all that well. Instead, they rid themselves of heat through their breathing efforts. Outside temperatures may not drop enough at night for your cattle to release much heat. This extra stress causes negative impacts to your cattle, which may include:
Increased respiratory difficulties
Decreased feed consumption
Lower weight gain
Reduced milk production
Sweltering summer heat is no joke.
Ever try to get a good night’s sleep in the middle of summer with temperatures soaring, no breeze, and no air conditioning? You toss and turn. You’re swimming in sweat. You don’t feel like doing anything and you certainly don’t feel like eating.
Hyperthermia is damaging to the body. Whether that body belongs to humans or cattle – and it’s miserable.
Providing adequate shade protection with a portable livestock building is a crucial tool for cooling your herd.
Additional benefits of portable livestock shelters
I’d be thoughtless if I didn’t take a moment to share a few extra perks about portable livestock shelters. These features focus on you – the farmer. Yes, you! – the one who works harder than you get credit for.
You deserve equipment on the farm that will ease your burden. A tool that will work to protect your livestock herd 24 hours a day –every day – all year long, and through all kinds of weather. A portable livestock building fits this description.
With these types of livestock barns, you get:
Portability – Hey, it’s in the name. But questions about moving them are some of the most popular inquiries we hear. These structures are built with farmers in mind. Transferring these buildings to different areas of your farm is easy. Whether changing the map of your farming operations or needing to clean out the area - just hook up to a tractor and haul as needed.
Customizable – All farms are not created equal. As such, many of these types of buildings are made-to-order. It doesn’t matter if you're a farmer with cattle, horses, goats, sheep, hogs, or any other livestock. These buildings come in various sizes to meet your needs. They also sport a selection of colors to match other buildings on your farm.
Affordable – One dead cow is all it takes to cause a setback. But most of the time when unexpected losses occur, we’re not talking about just one cow. It’s usually several. And those costs add up. The portable buildings are economical and made to last.
Weather resistant - The materials used in these buildings perform well in all types of weather. These buildings can also be anchored in place to withstand high winds.
Adaptable - These buildings are meant for livestock, but you can use them for other needs. Tack rooms, garden supplies, a hunting blind, and even a shaded picnic area! Picture a big family gathering after the fall harvest!
Delivered to you - You don’t have to worry about how you’ll get these buildings to your farm. The dimensions of these buildings meet all the DOT requirements. They’re easily delivered to you and set where you need them.
Raise your hand if you’re a farmer who wants a load taken off your back.
Who wouldn’t want a farm tool like this to make owning livestock a little more stress free? Let a portable livestock barn take one of your worries off your plate.
Now is the time to take action and shelter your livestock
Weather is unpredictable, but your preparation doesn’t have to be.
Don't wait until bad weather hits to order your building.
Livestock shelters are usually built on demand. This process can take several weeks or a few months to have the barns completed. Of course, when all the other farmers are waiting to order theirs, you’ll get stuck behind a long line of procrastinators. You don’t want that.
Stand out as the smart livestock manager in your county who proactively takes action to protect your investment. The other farmers will wish they had done the same.
Dependable buildings for your livestock’s protection make sense. These structures take the extra burden of worry off your workload.
You deserve no-nonsense, affordable, and effective equipment for your farming operation.
You deserve tools you can rely on.
A portable livestock building gets the job done.
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