Handy Hint: June 2015
Give cows privacy while calving
I have a few calving and fresh cow pens in one area. To keep other cows from disturbing the one that's supposed to calve, I took 1/4-inch plywood sheets (full sheets work best, but any old wood will work) and made hooks for them to hang on the gates inside my shed. I now have a completely enclosed pen for my calving heifers or cows.
I call it a portable wall because the hooks allow me to move and hang the walls in any of my pens without much hassle. It's very nice, especially for fresh heifers. It also allows me to walk around the barn checking other cows without disturbing the one that's calving.
-Jadon Waldner, South Dakota