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Robin Baird, who farms in partnership with his farther near to Kirkcudbright in Dumfries and Galloway, was finding that at times his cattle were being discouraged from standing at the feed face of an open fronted slatted cattle shed because of the harsh winter weather.
With the shed being airy, and minimal cases of pneumonia in the 350 cattle Robin over-winters for his bed and breakfast clients, ventilation was a key concern. Robin consulted with James Smith Fencing, his family having worked with JSF for three generations.
Ian Smith from JSF visited the farm to measure up and discuss options with Robin. Ian recommended Galebreaker Bayscreens, which are clip-on mesh screens designed to reduce weather entering the building but still allowing adequate ventilation. Robin chose grey screens which matched his galvanised gates and steel uprights.
Robin was initially concerned over the robustness of the screens, but as he explains
“Over the winter we experienced several strong gales including Storm Arwen, and the Bayscreens have withstood these high wind speeds. We have seen a huge improvement in the cattle, who now happily feed despite the weather”.
Robin posted a video of himself fitting 10 Bayscreens in October 2021 (https://fb.watch/b6csEAte3w/) to his hugely popular Facebook page ‘Dumfries and Galloway! What’s Going On?’. Although the screens are easier to install with two people, Robin was able to put all the screens up on his own without too much hassle.
Robin comments:
“I would definitely recommend Galebreaker – their products are of high quality and the building is still light, airy and now remains dry no matter which direction the weather is coming from”
