168 



VETERINARY HYGIENE 



her dropping fseces and urine on the floor in such a position that she 

 would lie on the excreta and thereby soil her quarters and udder. 

 It is true that this limitation of space greatly restricts the animal's 

 movements, but it is absolutely necessary for the production of clean 

 milk. 



If the stall is too big in either breadth or length it becomes covered 

 with dung owing to the animal moving about. If the stall is pro- 

 perly constructed, the excreta should fall into the dung channel at 



FIG. 72. Section of a single byre with a feeding passage, Sherringham windows 

 and steel roof trusses. Outlets for foul air may be by extraction cowls or 

 louvred ventilators. The dimensions given are for large cows. The feeding 

 passage may be one foot less and the milking passage one foot wider if 

 desired. 



the rear. If the stalls are so constructed that cows are perpetually 

 soiling their udders with manure, the labour involved in keeping 

 them clean is so great that it is seldom satisfactorily done. In the 

 majority of cases the most that is attempted under these conditions 

 is to remove the more obvious cakes of dried dung and dirt with the 

 result that what remains on the cows' flanks and udders is loosened 

 and falls into the milk pail at milking time. Attendants soon get 

 disgusted with trying to keep cows clean under such conditions, but 

 where the stalls are properly designed little dirt gets on to the animals 

 and they have some encouragement in their work. It has for long 



