Covered Feedlot Design Parameters Guide

Planning a covered feedlot involves a series of connected decisions.

How much space should be allowed per head? How much feed bunk is required? How wide should the building be? Which way should it face? How high should the eaves be? And how do all of those decisions affect ventilation, roof design and the final building footprint?

This guide brings together key Australian feedlot design parameters in one place to provide a practical starting point for early planning.

The figures below are drawn primarily from guidance published by Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA), including the Feedlot Covered Housing Systems: Best Practice Design and Management Manual and Australian Feedlot Design Manual.

These parameters should be treated as planning guidance rather than a substitute for site-specific feedlot design, engineering, regulatory or animal welfare advice. Requirements will vary depending on cattle class, climate, site conditions, management system and relevant state requirements. Our team can help you with site specific feedlot questions.

Covered Feedlot Design Parameters at a Glance

Design Parameter	Australian Guidance / Starting Point	What It Means for Design
Indoor stocking density	NFAS minimum: 2.5 m²/SCU	A minimum requirement, not necessarily a practical design target
Typical covered housing space	Approximately 4–12.5 m²/SCU, with around 6 m²/SCU typical	Influences pen area and overall building footprint
Solid-floor covered housing	Approximately 6–8 m²/SCU has been used in Australian systems	Bedding, climate and management influence the appropriate allowance
Feed bunk space	Approximately 250–300 mm/SCU	Bunk length can determine pen width and capacity
Shade	Minimum approximately 2 m²/head, with 3–3.75 m²/head commonly provided by Australian commercial feedlots	Shade area, airflow and cattle distribution need to be considered together
Gable building width	Generally around 30 m or less for natural ventilation in most locations	Wider buildings require greater ventilation consideration
Single monoslope span	Generally around 10 m	Climate and natural breezes may influence appropriate width
Eave height	Approximately 5 m minimum for a 30 m-wide covered housing building	Supports airflow and machinery clearance
Monoslope roof pitch	At least approximately 7°	Influences airflow, drainage, overall height and overhang requirements
Gable roof pitch	At least approximately 15°, with around 22° providing improved airflow patterns	Pitch affects ventilation, ridge height and structural geometry
Ridge opening	General MLA principle of approximately 5% of building width	Needs to work with roof pitch, building height and local climate
Orientation	East-west is generally preferred for reducing solar heat load	Prevailing summer winds may take priority in hotter locations
Naturally ventilated orientation	Long side exposed to prevailing summer winds where airflow is the priority	Site-specific wind data should be considered

The right combination of these parameters will vary from project to project. The important point is that they are considered together, rather than treating each number as an independent design rule.

1. Stocking Density

Stocking density is one of the first parameters to establish because it influences the total area required for livestock.

The MLA covered housing guidance notes that the National Feedlot Accreditation Scheme (NFAS) specifies a minimum indoor space allowance of 2.5 m² per Standard Cattle Unit (SCU).

This is a minimum requirement rather than a recommended design target.

MLA reports that Australian covered housing systems operate across approximately 4–12.5 m²/SCU, with around 6 m²/SCU typical. Solid-floor covered systems in Australia have used approximately 6–8 m²/SCU.

The appropriate allowance depends on factors including:

Cattle size and class.
Climate.
Flooring and bedding system.
Bedding management.
Manure management.
Feed and water access.
Ventilation.
Relevant regulatory requirements.

What does this mean for your building?

At 6 m²/SCU, 100 SCU requires approximately 600 m² of pen area.

At 8 m²/SCU, the same cattle numbers require approximately 800 m².

That decision alone changes the required pen dimensions and ultimately the building footprint.

Read our complete Feedlot Stocking Density guide.

2. Feed Bunk Space

Available floor area isn’t always what determines pen capacity.

MLA’s covered housing guidance uses approximately 250–300 mm of feed bunk space per SCU when demonstrating pen dimensions.

For example:

100 SCU × 250 mm = 25 metres of required bunk space.

MLA provides a worked example using:

100 SCU.
6 m²/SCU.
600 m² total pen area.
250 mm/SCU bunk allowance.
25 m feed bunk.

This produces an indicative pen approximately:

25 m wide × 24 m deep.

If the bunk allowance increases to 300 mm/SCU, the same 100 SCU requires approximately 30 metres of bunk space.

This demonstrates why bunk length can become the limiting design factor before total floor area.

Learn more about pen dimensions and bunk positioning in our Feedlot Layout Design guide.

3. Shade

MLA guidance recommends a minimum of approximately 2 m² of shade per head, while many Australian commercial feedlots provide approximately 3–3.75 m²/head.

The amount of shade isn’t the only consideration.

Shade height, orientation, cattle distribution and airflow beneath the structure all influence its effectiveness.

A standalone shade structure and a fully covered housing system also perform different functions.

Shade primarily reduces exposure to direct solar radiation. A fully covered feedlot also excludes rainfall from livestock areas and changes considerations around:

Ventilation.
Bedding.
Manure management.
Drainage.
Stocking density.
Machinery access.

Learn more about livestock welfare and shade requirements.

4. Building Width

Building width influences both operational flexibility and natural ventilation.

MLA’s covered housing guidance generally recommends naturally ventilated gable-roof buildings of around 30 metres wide or less for most locations.

For single monoslope structures, the general recommended span is approximately 10 metres.

These aren’t universal structural limits.

Wider buildings may be possible in cooler climates or locations with favourable natural breezes, but ventilation becomes increasingly important as air has further to travel across the structure.

Why does width matter?

Increasing building width can affect:

Structural spans.
Airflow.
Eave height.
Ridge height.
Ridge opening.
Roof pitch.
Wind loading.
Pen dimensions.
Overall structural efficiency.

5. Eave Height

MLA recommends approximately 5 metres minimum eave height for a 30-metre-wide covered housing building.

Eave height serves two important purposes.

It provides clearance for typical feedlot machinery while also increasing the open side area available for natural airflow.

The appropriate height therefore depends on:

Building width.
Machinery clearance.
Roof configuration.
Ventilation requirements.
Surrounding obstructions.

A wide building with low eaves may restrict airflow even where the overall floor area appears suitable.

6. Roof Pitch

Roof pitch influences drainage, structural geometry and natural ventilation.

MLA’s covered housing guidance provides the following starting points:

Monoslope roofs

Approximately 7° minimum, or roughly 1 vertical to 8 horizontal.

Gable roofs

Approximately 15° minimum for wider naturally ventilated structures.

MLA notes that pitches of around 22° can provide improved airflow patterns and ventilation.

Increasing pitch also increases overall ridge height, so roof pitch needs to be considered alongside structural design, building width and cost.

Explore these relationships in our Feedlot Roof Design guide.

7. Ridge Ventilation

Warm air rises towards the highest point of a covered structure.

A continuous ridge opening provides a pathway for this warm air to escape while fresh air enters through the sides of the building.

MLA provides a general design principle of an unimpeded ridge opening approximately 5% of the building width.

For example:

20 m building width × 5% = approximately 1 m ridge opening.

The final ridge configuration still depends on:

Building width.
Eave height.
Roof pitch.
Cattle numbers.
Stocking density.
Local climate.
Rain protection requirements.

Where a ridge cap is used, it needs to provide weather protection without unnecessarily restricting escaping air.

Read our Feedlot Ventilation guide for more detail.

8. Building Orientation

There isn’t one orientation that is right for every covered feedlot.

MLA guidance provides two important principles.

An east-west orientation of the building’s long axis can help reduce solar heat load.

However, in hotter locations, natural ventilation may become the greater priority. In these conditions, positioning the long side of the building to receive prevailing summer winds can help maximise crossflow.

What should you look at?

Before determining orientation, consider:

Prevailing summer wind direction.
Typical wind speeds.
Solar exposure.
Terrain and elevation.
Nearby buildings.
Trees and windbreaks.
Future buildings and expansion.
Local climate.

This is why compass orientation alone shouldn’t determine the building position.

Read our detailed Feedlot Orientation guide.

9. Machinery and Operational Clearances

A covered feedlot also needs to work as an operating facility.

Feed trucks, loaders, cleaning equipment and livestock movements all need to be considered when determining:

Eave height.
Pen dimensions.
Gate positions.
Feed road widths.
Structural column positions.
Turning areas.
Maintenance access.

A structurally efficient building that restricts daily operations is unlikely to be an efficient feedlot.

Operational requirements should therefore be established before the structural grid and building dimensions are finalised.

See how these considerations influence Feedlot Layout Design.

10. Water Access

Reliable access to clean drinking water is fundamental to livestock welfare and feedlot operation.

Water demand varies significantly depending on:

Cattle size.
Diet.
Ambient temperature.
Humidity.
Water temperature.
Management system.

For this reason, water infrastructure should be designed for the specific cattle and operating conditions rather than relying on one universal litres-per-head figure.

Early planning should consider:

Available water supply.
Peak demand.
Trough capacity.
Trough position.
Access within pens.
Cleaning and maintenance.
Backup or redundancy requirements.

11. Wind Loading and Structural Design

Building dimensions can’t be considered separately from structural engineering.

Site-specific wind conditions influence:

Structural member sizing.
Bracing.
Connections.
Foundations.
Roof geometry.
Overhangs.

Two buildings with identical dimensions may therefore require different structural solutions because of differences in terrain, exposure and regional wind conditions.

Learn more about changes to wind assessment standards.

12. Future Expansion

A final parameter that is difficult to put into a table, but important to establish early, is where the feedlot may grow next.

Future expansion can influence:

Building position.
Structural layout.
Bracing.
Pen configuration.
Feed roads.
Ventilation.
Drainage.
Supporting infrastructure.

Planning for expansion doesn’t necessarily mean constructing additional capacity now.

It means making sure today’s decisions don’t unnecessarily restrict tomorrow’s options.

How the Parameters Work Together

One of the biggest mistakes in early feedlot planning is treating these numbers independently.

Consider a proposed 100 SCU pen.

Starting with MLA’s worked example:

100 SCU
↓
6 m²/SCU
↓
600 m² pen area

Then consider feed access:

100 SCU
↓
250 mm bunk/SCU
↓
25 m feed bunk

That gives an indicative:

25 m × 24 m pen

But that doesn’t automatically mean the building should simply be 25 metres wide.

The design still needs to consider:

Ventilation across that width.
Eave and ridge height.
Roof pitch.
Ridge opening.
Building orientation.
Machinery clearance.
Wind loading.
Pen configuration.
Future expansion.

This is why early feedlot planning is less about finding one perfect number and more about understanding how the numbers work together.

From Design Parameters to a Buildable Feedlot

Industry guidance provides an important starting point, but every feedlot has different cattle numbers, operating requirements, site conditions and growth plans.

This is where those parameters need to be translated into a practical building.

At TechSpan, we work with producers during the early planning stage to understand cattle numbers, pen layouts, feed systems, machinery requirements, ventilation, building dimensions and future expansion.

Through our 3C Advantage process, these operational requirements can be explored during the Concept stage before the structure is configured and engineered for construction.

Planning a Covered Feedlot?

If you already know your approximate cattle numbers, proposed layout or future capacity, talk with the TechSpan team.

We can help translate those operational requirements into an initial building concept and identify how span, height, roof configuration, ventilation and structural design may work together.