Feedlot Orientation

The orientation of a covered feedlot has a significant influence on how the facility performs throughout the year. Positioning the building correctly can improve natural ventilation, manage solar exposure and create a more comfortable environment for livestock while supporting efficient day-to-day operations.

Rather than simply positioning a building to fit the available site, orientation should be considered alongside prevailing winds, the sun’s path, local climate and the overall feedlot layout. These factors work together to influence airflow, heat management and the long-term performance of the facility.

Planning the orientation early helps ensure the building works with the natural environment rather than against it.

Which Way Should a Covered Feedlot Face?

There isn’t one orientation that is right for every covered feedlot, but Australian guidance provides a useful starting point.

The MLA Feedlot Covered Housing Systems: Best Practice Design and Management Manual notes that naturally ventilated animal housing in Australia is commonly positioned with the long axis running east-west to help reduce solar heat load. With this orientation, the sun moves across the roof rather than along the length of the building.

However, wind direction can be more important in hotter locations. MLA recommends weighing the solar benefit of an east-west orientation against the need to expose the long side of the building to prevailing summer winds, helping maximise natural airflow through the structure.

In practical terms, the preferred orientation will often depend on which environmental issue is most important at the particular site: managing solar exposure, maximising summer ventilation, or balancing both.

Why Building Orientation Matters

The position of a feedlot affects more than where the structure sits on the property.

Orientation influences how sunlight reaches the building, how air moves through the facility and how environmental conditions change throughout the day and across different seasons.

A well positioned feedlot can help:

These benefits begin with careful planning before construction starts.

Working With the Wind

Natural airflow is one of the biggest advantages of a well-designed covered feedlot.

Positioning the building to take advantage of prevailing winds allows fresh air to move consistently through the structure, helping manage heat, moisture and air quality without relying on mechanical ventilation.

Understanding local wind patterns during the planning stage helps determine the most appropriate orientation for the building while supporting other design elements such as ridge ventilation and roof design.

Each site is different, making local conditions an important part of the design process.

What Should You Look for When Reviewing Wind Conditions?

MLA recommends obtaining wind speed and direction data before finalising the orientation of covered housing where ventilation is critical. Site-specific information is particularly valuable because wind conditions can vary significantly across relatively short distances, especially where terrain is complex.

When reviewing a potential feedlot site, consider:

  • The direction of prevailing summer winds.
  • How frequently winds come from that direction.
  • Typical summer wind speeds.
  • Whether hills, ridgelines or changes in elevation affect airflow.
  • Nearby buildings, trees or windbreaks that may obstruct or redirect breezes.
  • Whether future buildings or feedlot expansion could restrict airflow.

MLA notes that higher or more exposed sites may experience higher average wind speeds, while buildings, vegetation and other obstructions can reduce or disturb airflow.

Where ventilation is a priority, MLA’s general guidance for hotter locations is to position the long axis of the building perpendicular to prevailing summer winds so air can move through the long sides of the structure.

Wind data is available through the Bureau of Meteorology, a nearby weather station or through site-specific monitoring. For complex or higher-risk sites, specialist ventilation advice may be appropriate before the building position is finalised.

Understanding the Sun Path

The movement of the sun across the site affects how much solar heat reaches different parts of the feedlot throughout the day.

Considering the sun’s path during the planning stage helps position the building to better manage heat while supporting livestock comfort and operational efficiency.

This may influence:

  • Shade throughout the day.
  • Heat build-up within the structure.
  • Protection of feed bunks and operational areas.
  • Staff working conditions.
  • Long-term building performance.

The appropriate orientation will vary depending on the site’s location, surrounding landscape and operational requirements.

How Does Orientation Affect Solar Exposure?

For covered housing, MLA identifies east-west orientation of the building’s long axis as a useful way to reduce solar heat load. This allows the sun to travel across the roof during the day rather than along the length of the structure.

In cooler climates, or where there is no strong prevailing wind direction, MLA indicates that an east-west orientation is generally preferred. For monoslope buildings, the guidance recommends positioning the high, open side towards true north to assist sunlight penetration and pen drying.

This is different from the orientation guidance commonly used for standalone shade structures. MLA’s Feedlot Design Manual recommends north-south orientation for longitudinal shade structures so sunlight reaches different parts of the pen throughout the day and assists with floor drying. The appropriate approach therefore depends on whether you are designing a fully covered building or a separate shade structure.

How Orientation, Building Width and Ventilation Work Together

Orientation becomes increasingly important as building dimensions change.

For example, consider a wider covered feedlot where natural ventilation needs to move air across the full building width. If the long side of that structure is positioned to receive the prevailing summer breeze, air can move directly across the pens. If that same building is rotated so the prevailing wind approaches the narrow end instead, the building itself may restrict the amount of crossflow reaching the centre of the structure.

As discussed in our Feedlot Ventilation guide, building width, eave height, roof configuration and surrounding obstructions also affect natural ventilation. Orientation therefore needs to be considered alongside these dimensions rather than selected independently.

A narrower building on an exposed site may perform very differently from a wider building positioned behind another structure or tree line, even if both have the same compass orientation.

Designing for Local Climate Conditions

No two feedlot sites experience the same environmental conditions.

Regional climate, seasonal weather patterns, rainfall, wind exposure and temperature all influence how a covered feedlot should be designed.

Rather than relying on a standard building orientation, the most effective facilities respond to the unique characteristics of the site.

Considering local climate during planning helps integrate orientation with ventilation, roof design and structural engineering to achieve the best long-term outcome.

In hotter locations, maximising summer airflow may take priority over achieving a strict east-west orientation. In cooler locations without a dominant prevailing wind, east-west orientation may provide a stronger starting point for managing solar exposure. This is why local climate and site-specific wind conditions should be reviewed together before the building position is locked in.

Orientation Works With the Entire Design

Building orientation should never be considered in isolation.

It forms part of a broader planning process that includes:

When these elements are designed together, they create a feedlot that’s more efficient, comfortable and better suited to long-term operation.

Planning a new covered feedlot? Talk to TechSpan before the building position is finalised. Reviewing orientation, prevailing winds, building dimensions and future expansion early can help avoid design compromises later in the project.

Planning for Long-Term Performance

The decisions made before construction often have the greatest influence on how a feedlot performs over the coming decades.

Choosing the right orientation can improve environmental performance without increasing operational complexity, while creating infrastructure that’s easier to manage throughout changing seasons.

Taking the time to understand the site before finalising the building position helps maximise the value of every other design decision.

Bringing Feedlot Orientation Together

Successful feedlot orientation is about understanding how the building interacts with its environment.

Prevailing winds, solar exposure, local climate and site conditions all influence the most appropriate orientation for a covered feedlot. By considering these factors alongside ventilation, roof design and structural engineering, producers can create facilities that provide better livestock comfort, improved operational efficiency and stronger long-term performance.

As a practical starting point, an east-west orientation can help reduce solar heat load, while hotter sites may benefit from prioritising the direction of prevailing summer winds. The right answer ultimately comes from understanding the specific site and balancing solar exposure with natural ventilation.

Other Resources You May Find Helpful

Ready to Plan Your Covered Feedlot?

The right building orientation lays the foundation for better ventilation, livestock comfort and long-term operational performance.

At TechSpan, we design covered feedlot solutions that consider site conditions, prevailing winds, solar exposure and structural design to create facilities that work with your environment and your operation.

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