Back in grade school, Larna Schnitker doodled designs for a cattle-handling facility on the back of her homework. Two years ago, she put the final touches on her childhood dream at the family farm near Middletown, Mo.
When she was only 8, Schnitker visited a cattle operation outside of Paris, Mo. “They invested a lot of money in their barn,” she says. “We even had to wear shoe protectors over our boots to go in, so that is going to stick with you when you’re that young.”
The barn design did have staying power in her mind. By 12, she was crafting her own designs. “I had so many pieces of papers with drawings on them,” Schnitker recalls. “I’d keep adding or taking away ideas until, finally, I had one I liked.”
In 2015, the family began turning her design into a reality. “If you added up all the steel in the building, it would be about 9 miles long,” she says. “And we did all the welding ourselves.”
Schnitker found it was a whole lot cheaper than buying a barn system. “We could build three times the size of the building for half the price,” she says.
The photo gallery offers a look and a little more insight into this young farmer’s design.
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<p>BIG UNDERTAKING: Larna Schnitker dreamed of this cattle-handling facility at her family farm in Audrain County since she was in grade school. In 2018, she put the finishing touches on the 9,600-square-foot building.</p>
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<p>READY FOR COWS: The cattle barn designed by Larna Schnitker and built by the family is empty. It is ready to receive cows in January. The family breeds cows to calve in winter. The barn allows cows and calves to have a warm place for delivery.</p>
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<p>EASY PROCESSING: Large chutes allow a wide berth for cattle heading through to the headgate for inspections. The paddles hanging from the top of the chute push the cows forward gently. This is good for both animal and human. The cows have less stress from human interaction, and farmers do not worry about being injured by the animal. It is all part of a stress-free working environment.</p>
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<p>OFFICE WORK: Larna Schnitker included an office in her cattle-handling facility design. Located right next to the chute alley, it holds medicines and equipment. It also provides a warm spot during long winter calving days and nights.</p>
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<p>VISUAL CHECK: A camera mounted to the barn ceiling rafters can pan, tilt and zoom in up to 200 feet. “We can see the number of the ear tag,” Larna Schnitker says. “Then determine that 367, she's got a bag out, or calf feet out.” It helps the family oversee the operation from their home.</p>
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<p>BIG PENS: Inside the barn, there is enough room for 16 privacy pens, which can hold up to 80 cows. It provides a comfortable area for these cows to calve out of the winter weather.</p>
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<p>LEAVING THEIR MARK: Larna Schnitker and her sister Lucy were integral in building the barn and especially the office. They hammered nails and etched their names in the structure, in hopes it will stand for future Schnitker farmers.</p>