PURPOSE BARNS 



Shall Cows Be Faced In or Out? 



Whether it is better to face cows out from, or toward a 

 center aisle is an open question ; good arguments can be made 

 in favor of either arrangement. One of the chief advantages 

 for having the herd face the center aisle is that this arrange- 

 ment provides a certain feeding alley. It, of course, is more 

 convenient to feed from one alley, especially if feeding en- 

 silage. Careful feeding is very necessary to successful dairy- 

 ing and as cattle are fed two or three times a day this point 

 deserves considerable attention. Then, again, when the 

 cows are faced in there is no danger of the direct sunlight 

 affecting the cow's eyes. The arrangement places the milk- 

 ers nearest the light so that they can see that the cow's 

 udders are clean. Cleaning out the manure is as easy, if a 

 litter carrier is provided, as driving through the barn be- 

 tween two rows of cows. A feed carrier can be installed 

 running between the two rows of cattle and be used to carry 

 feed to various parts of the barn. 



The advantages of having the cattle face out are: first, 

 less alley space is required (when cattle face the center aisle 

 the back walks must be wide or the walls will be spattered 

 with manure) ; second, a manure spreader can be loaded in 

 the barn and hauled directly to the field, thereby saving 

 handling the manure twice ; third, sale cattle can be shown to 

 better advantage when facing out from the center and it is 

 claimed by some that it is easier to get cows in and out of the 

 barn, with less danger of crowding. 



Stall Floors Should Be Sanitary. 



Floors of nothing but untreated wood are not advised 

 for dairy barns. A good concrete foundation, well drained, 

 with a wood overlay, or creosoted wood block, is entirely 

 satisfactory. In constructing the wood overlay (Figure 12) 

 the boards should be laid lengthwise of the stall. It should 

 be made so as to be easily removed, thus permitting cleans- 

 ing. A concrete floor, to be satisfactory, must be finished 

 with a wood trowel which will leave the surface rough 

 enough to prevent the cows from slipping and also to make 

 it possible to keep bedding on the floor. 



Cork brick are quite extensively used for flooring and 

 are very satisfactory, but more expensive than concrete or 

 wood. These are sanitary and are not cold, as is the case 



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