Resources
Shade shed considerations
When designing a shade shed, it is important to carefully consider two things:
- Should the shed be oriented east-west or north-south?
- How much sunshine will the shed floor get in summer and winter?
Orientation - east-west or north-south?
With an east-west orientation, and an area of 2.5 to 3m2 per cow, part of the floor under the toof will be in shade all day. Extending the floor approximately one third its length on both th east and west to 3 to 4m2 per cow will place feed and water troughs under shade at all times, which will encourage intakes. More dung will be dropped in the shaded area, which will need frequent cleaning to avoid the risk of mastitis. East-west orientation, therefore, works best for concrete floors.
If concrete is too costly, the north-south orientation works best. It works well for gravel floors because the sun strikes every part of the floor area under and on either side of the roof at some time during the day. This helps to keep the floored area dry and restricts pathogen build up. A shaded area of 2.5 to 3m2 per cow is adequate if feed and water troughs are placed away from the shaded area.
In regions where temperatures average 30oC or more for up to five hours oer day during someperiod of the year, the east-west orientation is deemed more suitable.
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Example:
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N-S
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E-W
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N-S
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E-W
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N-S
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E-W
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Shed profiles at 9am, noon and 3pm at four different times of the year.
Winter and summer sunshine angles
Winter and summer sunshine angles are important, as they determine how much of the floor area receives sunshine at some time during the day, given a shed’s roof height and width. Seek professional advice.
Example:
