146 LIVESTOCK ON THE FARM 



to live in a cold environment too much feed is used for heat 

 production and less is available for milk-making. 



A barn for cows should be roomy, well ventilated, and well 

 lighted. Some cities, where milk is sold by dairymen, have 

 ordinances requiring barns with these things well provided 

 for. The barn should not be crowded and the air therein 

 should at all times be fresh and wholesome. Any system of 

 ventilation that will help keep the air fresh and pure is all 

 right. At the same time, the barn should not be too cold 

 neither too warm. 



A good plan is to have two rows of cows facing the outside 

 walls. There should be a wide alley in the center and a nar- 

 rower alley for feeding in front of each row of cows. These 

 alleys are next to the outside walls. Here then in front of the 

 cows should be located the fresh-air intakes and the windows. 



The wide alley in the middle, behind the cows, allows for 

 wagon or manure spreader to pass through and take out the 

 manure and bring in the bedding. When cows face toward 

 the center, as barns are sometimes built with a wide manger 

 for both rows of cows to eat out of, there is danger of the 

 cow on one side inhaling the air that the cow on the other side 

 exhales. 



A barn must be so built that it will fit the needs of the farm 

 and the farmer where it is built. It should also be built eco- 

 nomically and so arranged that the work can be done easily. 



MILKING 



Milking should be done under sanitary conditions as nearly 

 as possible. The barn should be absolutely clean and if the 

 floor can be washed beforehand so much the better. Dusty 

 hay should not be fed just before milking. This causes dust 

 to float in the air which will settle into the milk. 



All foreign matter should be kept out of the milk. This 

 may be in the form of, or may contain, dirt, disease germs, or 

 other bacteria that make milk unhealthy, sour, or rancid. 

 Bacteria grow rapidly in milk; it is warm and contains all 

 the necessary food materials for germs. The barn, then, 

 should be free from bad odors and dust and the udder should 

 be washed and wiped dry. The body of the cow in the region 



