FOURTEENTH ANNUAT^ YEAR FOOK— PART X 779 



each type of barn was in use convinces him that to keep the barn 

 in a clean, sanitary condition requires twice as much work when 

 the cows face in than when they face out. 



The best location for the feed room is at the head of one feed- 

 ing alleyway with a silo adjoining or at the other end of the 

 same alleyway, and a hay chute at the end of the other alleyway. 

 Then with the feed or silage wagon the feeder can quickly and 

 easily feed around the cows, finishing at the starting point. 



For convenience a track on which a litter carrier will run should 

 pass by all stalls so they can be quickly and easily cleaned. 



FEEDING METHODS. 



In view of the fact that each cow should be fed individually 

 and all grain weighed to her, the task of feeding is a large one 

 and one of three ways may be used: 



1. A row of covered boxes large enough to hold a week's feed 

 may be built along the wall in front of the cows and the feed 

 weighed up once a week; then the feeder can pass along and give 

 each cow her feed with a small scoop. 



2. A feeding wagon may be divided into apartments, each con- 

 taining a different food, and the wagon fitted up with a spring 

 balance scale. Thus the ration can be weighed and mixed as fed. 



3. In the feed room each cow may have a box just large enough 

 for one day's ration. Each day the feed can be weighed and placed 

 therein. The rack containing these boxes should be mounted on 

 rollers so that they may be rolled along in front of the cows. This 

 method facilitates individual feeding and is quite convenient. 



Watering cows in winter entails a great deal of labor if cows are 

 to be watered twice daily, as they should be. Many devices have 

 been patented and placed on the market for installing in cow 

 barns. The most common is the individual basin for each cow 

 in which w^ater is always present. Another system, where cement 

 mangers are used, is a hydrant at one end and a drain that can 

 be plugged at the other. After feeding the manger is swept out 

 and the water turned in so the cows can drink. Then the water 

 is drained out, so that at each watering time the cows receive 

 good, clean, fresh water. When the cows are watered in an out- 

 side tank and they should get out for a short time each day — a 

 tank heater should be provided. 



WARMTH, LIGHT AND VENTILATION. 



Warmth, sunshine, light and ventilation go hand in hand and all 

 are of exceptional importance. The value of warmth has been 

 referred to and in this connection it may be said that a barn well 

 built and without cracks, in a sheltered spot, will, as a rule, be 

 warm enough when filled with cows, the body heat given off. 



Sunshine, light and ventilation, however, are not so easily at- 

 tained. Barns built to run north and south are most desirable 

 as they admit the most light and sunshine. Another advantage 

 gained by building the barn on a line running north and south 

 is that on warm days the doors at each end may be opened and 

 the air of the barn quickly changed. In summer time this guar- 

 antees a cool barn. Windows should be large and placed close to- 



