By Tom Collins
NORTH GOWER — Dwight Foster says cattle comfort is his favourite feature of a new 120 ft. by 650 ft. WeCover barn on his North Gower farm.
“It’s like staying at the Fairmont Hotel chain,” said Foster, a cash crop farmer who operates a grain trucking business and a finishing feedlot operation at the south end of rural Ottawa. He also operates North Gower Grains, a commercial elevator, with a 92,000-tonne capacity, just down the road from his farm. “It’s more comfortable for the livestock so they can gain better and convert better.”
To enhance comfort he opted for rubber mats to go with slats in the concrete floor that allow manure to fall into a pit below. This gives the cattle a nice, clean environment, said Foster.
The new barn can also be completely closed up for the winter months so the cattle aren’t exposed to the cold. The translucent roof and automatic retractable fabric-covered walls allow for a lot of light.
The young beef stock moved into the new barn at the end of October.
