Cattle Like Portable Windbreaks

Cattle Like Portable Windbreaks LIVESTOCK Beef Russ Wilson keeps winter feed costs down by keeping cattle comfortable with portable windbreaks Mounted to running gears the 8-ft tall wind barriers can be moved from paddock to paddock for winter grazing and feeding hay Moving them around throughout the winter also spreads out manure     “I move the windbreaks every day ” says Wilson “The cattle graze alongside and then tuck back behind the windbreaks to warm up before going back out again to graze ”     Wilson quotes researchers at the University of Saskatchewan who say that a 25 mph wind at 0 degrees can reduce a cow’s energy by 30 percent With his windbreaks he eliminates the wind and the need for extra feed to replace lost energy     To make the portable windbreaks he stretched out 5 running gears to their maximum 16-ft length On 3 of them he mounted 20-ft slatted fence panels fabricated from 1 by 8-in rough-cut pine boards Slatted panels on the other 2 were fabricated from 8-ft tall 8-in wide 16-gauge steel purlins Slats are mounted about 4 in apart     “I mounted the panel on the first one with steel braces welded to the running gears ” says Wilson “On the next ones I bolted the braces to the running gear ”     Using bolts allows Wilson to remove a windbreak panel and replace it with a flatbed and 330-gal totes He uses it to provide water to cattle on a rented pasture without water access     For added stability Wilson mounted salvaged 16-ft long 6 by 6-in and larger steel I-beams on each running gear Combined with the wind-breaking spaces in the panels the design even stood up to a tornado that knocked down trees in Wilson’s front yard     “I figured I would find nothing but twisted steel and broken boards ” says Wilson “It didn’t even move them ”     When Wilson does want to move them they are light enough that he can do so easily     “I can use the side-by-side with differential lock until the snow gets more than 20 in deep ” he says “Then I use my 4-WD 45 hp tractor ”     Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Wilson Land & Cattle Co 1532 Stitzinger Rd Tionesta Penn 16353 ph 814 354-2325; ancattle@gmail com; www russwilson net

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