Zoske Farms, Inc. Cattle Fabric Covered Buildings

Location: Eldora, Iowa, USA

Application: Fabric Cattle Buildings - Beef Operation

Building Sizes: 2 fabric covered buildings 40' W X 160' L

Iowa Beef Producer Chooses Fabric Covered Buildings for Cattle Pack Barns

Cattle Pack Barns

2 fabric covered cattle buildings used for pack barns.

Zoske Farms Inc. is located near Eldora, IA, where Larry and Jan Zoske have been raising beef cattle since 1969. Larry and his sons finish approximately 600 calves each year. Zoske Farms finishes about 200 of their own calves, and purchases the remaining balance to fill the cattle barns.

When it came time to expand the beef operation, they were looking for an economical cattle building. Larry researched a number of different cattle building options before choosing two 40' x 160' fabric covered buildings. "We researched a number of different cattle barns, and were very impressed with the knowledge of the salesperson," says Larry. "Not only were these cattle barns more economical, we had them install the cattle barns for us as well."

Larry enjoys the natural environment in his cattle barns and is convinced it will be beneficial to their beef operation. "I like the brightness and natural light in these structures", says Larry. "Even though it's been hot this summer, we have not had any calves go off feed like they sometimes do if they are left out in a hot open area."

While planning the new cattle barns, Larry worked closely with the Department of Natural Resources to ensure that the cattle buildings project complied with the State Regulations for open feedlots. The two fabric cattle buildings barns are set 20 feet apart and are connected with two 16 foot walkways. The design of the cattle barns allows for 43 square feet and 12 inches of bunk space per animal. Each of the cattle fabric buildings were designed with a concrete manure storage unit to allow for proper manure management. The manure storage units were designed to hold up to 30 days of waste. Both cattle barns are cleaned once a week and re-bedded with corn stalk straw.

The Zoskes are a busy family and wanted to design their operation to help minimize their workload. "We designed the cattle fabric barns with concrete feed bunks that run the entire length on the outside edge of both cattle barns," says Larry, "this allows for quick feeding time with the tractor and feed cart."

The calves are fed a mixture of corn, wet distilled grain, hay and silage. The cattle buildings also feature eaves on the outside edge of each fabric cattle building to help shed water away from the enclosed area.

Since building their cattle fabric buildings, the Zoskes have received a lot of interest from neighbors and friends. When asked about their reactions, Larry indicated, "They're always impressed by the amount of natural light in the cattle barns. When they ask me if I would recommend it for their operation, I say, "Yes!"

Cattle Pack Barn

Fabric cattle buildings have open feedlots,

and corn stalk straw bedding.

Concrete Feed Bunks

Concrete feed bunks that run the entire length on the outside edge of the

cattle fabric covered buildings.

Abundant light and air flow through the structure.

Abundant natural light flows through the

cattle fabric buildings.