A calf pen is a specialized feeding facility designed for calves from birth to weaning. It promotes healthy calf development and reduces the risk of disease transmission through physical isolation.
Calf pens are divided into indoor and outdoor pens based on their usage environment. Common dimensions for indoor single-pen (cage) pens are 130cm long, 80-110cm wide, and 110-120cm high. The sides and back are usually made of wooden strips or wire mesh, with the sides often protruding about 24cm forward to prevent calves from licking each other. The cage floor uses a wooden slatted floor to facilitate urination. The front has an outward-opening door, a neck yoke, and movable iron rings and hay racks installed below. Outdoor pens include movable structures such as calf islands, made of reinforced polyester fiberglass for wind and heat protection. This "one calf, one island" isolation feeding model effectively curbs the spread of disease and significantly improves calf survival rates and overall health.
Calf pens should be clean, dry, well-ventilated, and well-lit, preventing drafts and dampness. The door width is typically 1.5m, and the door height is 2.0-2.2m, with one large door for every 25 calves. Modern calf pen designs often incorporate IoT technology, allowing for 24-hour continuous monitoring of temperature, humidity, and air quality. Studies show that in cold seasons, compared to traditional calf pens, calf islands have significantly lower levels of harmful gases (such as ammonia and carbon dioxide) and higher light intensity, which is beneficial to calf health; calves also show better daily weight gain in the islands.
According to feeding standards, calves should be kept individually for 10-15 days after birth, gradually moving to outdoor pens after 7 days. Before weaning, they should be kept in individual pens with daily cleaning and weekly disinfection. In daily management, the thickness of the rice husk bedding in the calf island should be controlled at 25-30 cm; the temperature for feeding milk should not exceed 38℃ in summer and should be maintained at around 42℃ in winter. Calf are usually raised on calf islands until weaning (about 67 days). After weaning, they are moved to a group "dormitory" with about 10 calves per room. After about 90 days, they are moved to a larger barn with a field.
