Building a Calf Shed - How Big?

[Bleenie]

So in the past we just raised our calves in the barn but the barn is going to be full of hay when we are ready to get the new baby so we are planning to build a Shed-type thing for him with his own yard area. We've bottle raised lots of calves but never had to do it in a small area so I figured it would be best to get input from others that maybe have had to build something for their calves?

I was thinking a 3.5 sided shed with a half door? But how big would it need to be?
I have seen those Polydome things but I don't like them, they look a little small, especially for cleaning. Plus they're expensive! I will be using all recycled materials to build the calf hutches.

 

[glenolam]

How long are you planning on keeping him in there? Are you thinking along the lines of building something like those plastic calf hutches you see at dairy farms?

I think how big depends on how much space you want to give up for the calf(s). FWIW, though, our calves and cows don't use their barn unless the weather is really really nasty. Even then they'll roam around outside from time to time. We don't have our cows and calves separated, but if we needed to, I'd think a 3 sided carriage shed that's big enough for the calf to move around in would be big enough.

 

[Bleenie]

I'm not talking about taking away our cows calf after she has it, we'd like to buy a little bull calf to raise for beef. The shed will be probably for the first 3 months while hes being bottle fed. The calf will probably be a Holstien, possibly a Jersey but they're pretty fragile after the dairy people take them away from mom without the colostrum, we've only been able to save a few of those.