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Recommendations for Calf and Heifer Housing Dimensions for Jerseys

Summary of design suggestions for planning calf and heifer housing systems for Jersey cattle; a starting point for the design process.

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March 6, 2023

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Recommendations for Calf and Heifer Housing Dimensions for Jerseys

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The following table summarizes a variety of design information or suggestions useful when planning calf and heifer housing systems for Jersey dairy cattle. Due to variations in management goals, herd size, and calvings this information represents a starting point in the design process. You may not be able to meet all suggestions in any particular design. When organizing groups consider feeding requirements, management needs, and especially size and age variation among animals in the same group. As a general rule of thumb smaller group sizes increase ease of observing and identifying animals that require special attention. Groups of animals over 6 months of age may be organized differently based on variations in herd size and calving frequency.

Table items in bold represent critical design or management recommendations.
To reduce the likelihood of injury and poor growth pay particular attention to the variation of size of animals in any group.
Provide continuously available fresh, clean, frost-free water to all animals.
Provide access to a convenient means for restraining all animals either in their pen or in adjacent working facility.
Feed barriers with gangs of self-closing stanchions are often used for heifer restraint and feeding. Experience has shown that young animals have difficulty learning to maneuver in and out of these devices. For this reason self-closing stanchions are not recommended for newly weaned and grouped animals. Close observation and procedures for acclimating animals to these devices are recommended.

Suggested Calf and Heifer Housing Space Requirements for Jerseys
Group #	Name	Typical or Estimated Age	Typical or Estimated Weight	Maximum Animals per Group	Maximum Age Spread in Group	Maximum Weight Variation in Group	Width of Minimum Space for Animal to Eat¹	Minimum Bedded Pen or Pack Area per Animal (excludes feeding area)²	Suggested Freestall Size (length x width)
1	baby calf	0 to 2 months	birth weight to 125 lbs.	1	N/A	N/A	N/A	30 ft²	Do Not Use
2	weaned calf	2 to 4 months	125 to 200 lbs.	7	1 month		18 in. with slant bar dividers	30 ft²	Do Not Use
3	heifer	4 to 8 months	200 to 400 lbs.	based on manage- ment ability and calving rate	4 months	200 pounds	15 in.	40 ft²	Do Not Use
4	heifer	8 to 12 months	400 to 500 lbs.	based on manage- ment ability and calving rate	4 months	200 pounds	15 in.	40 ft²	Do Not Use
5	heifer	12 to 16 months	500 to 700 lbs.	based on manage- ment ability and calving rate	4 months	200 pounds	17 in.	50 ft²	69" x 36"
6	heifer	16 to 20 months	700 to 800 lbs.	based on manage- ment ability and calving rate	4 months	200 pounds	19 in.	60 ft²	84" x 40"
7	heifer	20 months to 1 month pre-calving	800 to 900 lbs.	based on manage- ment ability and calving rate	4 months	200 pounds	19 in.	60 ft²	84" x 40"
8	pre-fresh heifer	pre-calving (2 to 4 weeks)					28 in.	100 ft²	96" x 43"

¹These numbers represent the space occupied along a feed barrier by an animal while eating. Whether all animals can access feed at the same time is controlled by the total length of feed barrier available to the group and the number of animals. Floor plans that do not allow all animals in a pen to eat at the same time require appropriate feeding management. Once animals are accustomed to group living and eating the number of animals that are allowed to eat at the same time should be determined by feeding and management decisions. See DIP 831 Fenceline Feed Barriers (page 251) and DIP 832 Individual Feeding Fronts for Baby Calves (page 256) for recommended types, sizes and construction of feed barriers for calves and heifers.
²Animal cleanliness and pack maintenance frequency and labor are directly related to space provided per animal.

Source: 2008. Graves, R. E., J. T. Tyson, D. F. McFarland, T. H. Wilson. Penn State Housing Plans for Calves and Heifers, NRAES-201. Page 279.

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