Environmental Conditions of Cow Hutches in the Agriculture Industry

Cow hutches play a vital role in the agriculture industry by providing a temporary or permanent shelter for young to mature cows when traditional infrastructure is not feasible. This type of enclosure creates an abnormal environment for these animals which requires farmers to increase the frequency in which they monitor the livestock to ensure their health. Studying how the placement and use of cow hutches altar environmental conditions is vital information that is important for farmers to know in order to successfully foster their livestock. Issues that cow hutches pose include increased air temperature and humidity inside the hutches when compared to ambient conditions as well as the additional need for airflow throughout the hutch due to the tendency for the hutches to unintentionally create a harmful environment for cattle. The goal of this study is to investigate differences between environmental conditions inside of the cow hutch compared to those outside of the hutch by comparing temperatures, dewpoints, humidity, and wind speeds. Multiple days of data collection and observing two similar hutches should provide reliable data to best compare conditions and identify if there are considerable differences in environmental conditions due to the use of the hutches. This study will also look at how the presence of the calf inside of the hutch alters temperature, dewpoint, humidity, and wind speed compared to when the hutch is empty as well as how that compares to ambient conditions.