old barn. Two large hay self-feed- 

 ers, each servicing two pens, were 

 easily and quickly filled from the floor 

 above. Each pen was equipped with 

 a water bowl. Silage and grain were 

 fed daily in a long manger in each 

 pen. The operator added new bed- 

 ding each day and cleaned the pens 

 once a week. While considerable 

 sawdust bedding was required, the 

 operator felt he kept the amount to 

 a minimum by weekly cleaning. 



All the daily tasks were completed 

 in one trip to the barn and required 

 about 25 man minutes. This was 

 about one man minute daily per heif- 

 er. About 180 man minutes were 

 spent once a week in cleaning the 

 pens and preparing for the next week. 

 Because hay and water were always 

 available to the heifers, there was 

 considerable leeway as to when the 

 operator visited this barn and the 

 weekly chore of cleaning could be 

 done within a range of several days. 

 Thus the labor requirements on these 

 heifers were quite flexible. 



The heifers under six months of 

 age wei-e usually quartered in the 

 main cow barn and received more fre- 

 quent attention. 



Efficient Practices 



One arrangement for housing 

 young stock loose in pens is indicated 

 in Fig. 61. Note that the stock in 

 each pen has access to a small open 

 yard. Due to a wide doorway in 

 front, tractor power can be used in 

 cleaning out manure. The feeding 

 of hay in self-feeders is convenient. 

 Grain and silage can be fed in the 

 manger. Automatic water bowls are 

 installed in a protected area of each 

 pen. In order to prevent freezing, 

 the water pipes can be laid under- 



12 Heifers 

 yearling 



4a0 SQUARE FEET 



O^Woter eoMis 



12 Heifers 



under 

 10 months 



360 SQUARE FEET 



Fig. 61. Floor plan of a pen hous- 

 ing young stock. 



ground to a point directly under the 

 bowls and lead heating cable can be 

 used if necessary in the coldest 

 weather. 



An operator can usually find a con- 

 venient way to feed silage to young 

 stock even if they are quartered in a 

 separate barn. When as many as 30 

 head of young stock are carried, a 

 small silo can be attached to the 

 barn, and the silage fed either in 

 bunks inside or outside the building, 

 depending on the weather. In case 

 this is not feasible on a particular 

 farm, the operator can remodel his 

 present silo room and install a car- 

 rier track so that silage can be taken 

 directly from the silo to the young 

 stock feed bunks. The silage car- 

 rier can be equipped with double trap 

 doors which will eliminate hand work 

 in unloading. Grain can be distrib- 

 uted on top of the silage and par- 

 tially mixed with it so that these 

 concentrates will be more evenly dis- 

 tributed when fed to loose cattle. 



It is estimated that 30 young stock 

 can be cared for in 35 man minutes 

 daily, with additional time occasional- 

 ly in cleaning. The older heifers 

 would be transferred to the main 

 barn two or three weeks before fresh- 

 ening so that they will handle more 

 easily when first milked. 



67 



