Eden Shale Update- May

At the corner of Hwy 22 and Eden Shale Road (generally considered the main entrance to the farm) used to sit a small white farm house. This house had not been lived in for many years and had suffered from the years of neglect. So we had the house demolished in 2014.

Removing the house gave us a perfect building site on a summit position, and where a pasture and alley way to the other side of the farm converged. However, over the past ten years other projects have taken priority and received our attention and the site sat vacant. But recently Hwy 22 underwent an expansion and we were able to acquire pavement millings for the base layer of the structure that we built on the old house site.

Dr. Steve Higgins designed the winter feeding structure that now sits on the site. It incorporates a Bo Renfro hay feeding structure, a calf creep area, and 80 feet of bunk space. The structure is designed to feed up to 40 head of cows and their calves.

The 24 ft hay feeding structure has a 6 inch raised feed table to keep the hay out of any manure that is created. There is also a 9 ft concrete apron all the way around the feeder so a cow eating hay has all four feet on concrete. The structure is covered with a mono-slope roof with the low side facing west to keep the elements off the hay and reduce waste. The north side of the structure has concrete retaining blocks that are used as a manure push wall when cleaning out at the end of the season.

Beside the hay feeder is a 24x30 creep area for the calves to go into when they are in the structure. This area can be bedded, have hay for the calves to eat, and it will get a wind break built on the western side to provide shelter.

On the opposite side of the feeder there are 80 linear feet of feed bunks running down the outside of the site. This allows the cows to be fed without having to go into the field with them.

Water is provided in a tire water tank located 400 ft away out in the pasture. This motivates the cows to leave the structure after they eat to go get water. This reduces loafing in the structure which greatly lessens manure buildup.

This developed corner can also serve as a trap pen for cattle that need to be moved to the western side of the farm. This structure opens up into an alleyway that cattle can be walked through to the “paddocks” part of the farm.
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A decade after the old house was torn down, we have repurposed the site into an efficient winter feeding area for both the livestock and producer. 

Old Eden Shale Farm Sign

New Winter Feeding Structure