BUILDING CONSTRUCTION 189 



the majority of cases, however, structural alteration, within reason- 

 able limits, will remedy the defects. 



The common faults to be found in old byre and stable buildings 

 include insufficient cubic space, lack of ventilation and light, under- 

 ground drainage or the presence of gully traps within the building, 

 insanitary and worn floors, narrow and low doorways, dampness, 

 draughtiness, bad proportion of stalls and standings, passages too 

 narrow, rough walls and partitions, complicated roof trusses and 

 many minor defects. A badly-constructed dung pit or its too close 

 proximity to an animal-house or to a milk store is a fault that is 

 very common. 



While sanitary authorities are beginning to take a more active 

 interest in the condition of cow-sheds, the housing of horses and 

 other animals receives little attention from them, provided that a 

 nuisance to the public is not caused. Complaints are usually limited 

 to the condition of the dung pit and to the length of time that manure 

 is stored on the premises. Fortunately, the modern owner of 

 animals is taking a more intelligent interest in the welfare of his 

 stock, and improvements are made without the intervention of the 

 sanitary officer. 



Where structural alteration and general improvement is desired, 

 a most careful survey of the whole premises should be made so that 

 the reconstruction may be done with the greatest advantage and 

 the least expense. No alteration or improvements should be recom- 

 mended without there being sufficient reason, and the most im- 

 portant alterations must be given first consideration. Plans and 

 elevations of the buildings should be prepared with all suggested 

 alterations shown thereon, and due consideration must be given to 

 the relation of one building with another, and the effect any altera- 

 tions will have not only on the health of the animals, but also on the 

 labour involved in tending them. 



Air-Space. Probably the most common of all defects in ex- 

 isting animal buildings, and certainly the most difficult to remedy, 

 is the lack of sufficient air-space for the animals the building is 

 intended to hold. As a rule this is caused by the passage behind 

 the animals having been made too narrow, that is to say, the building 

 itself is not sufficiently wide. This fault cannot be remedied with- 

 out pulling down one of the walls and of necessity rebuilding the 

 roof. The expense involved in such a procedure would in most 

 cases be prohibitive. The net air-space may, of course, be increased 

 by excluding one or more animals from the building, but this does 

 not result in such satisfactory air exchange as would be the case if 

 the building were designed on proper lines. In any case, floor space 



