Cattle

Housing cattle

Depending on your soil, climate and breed of cattle you may not need to house your cattle in winter. However they must have access to shelter – for example trees or an open fronted shed – in the worst of the weather and must have access to a well-drained lying area. (The Welfare of Farmed Animals (Scotland) Regulations 2010

You must not damage your soil through poaching or erosion in wet weather – this can happen around feeding areas especially on sloping ground. This is a requirement of Good Agricultural and Environmental Condition 5.

If you do house your cattle you should keep any calving cows separate from other animals. The housing should be well-ventilated with plenty of natural light. You must allow enough space both for lying down and feeding – see here for a table showing the minimum requirements for different sizes of cattle.

If your cattle are organic, the space requirements are defined a little differently – check your certifier’s standards. Additionally, at least half of the area must be solid floor – that is, not slatted.