savings with a well-arranged pen stable.! For grain feeding, it appears pos- 

 sible to secure comparable efficiency with either a pen stable or stanchion 

 stable setup, if both are properly designed and management is good. 



There are a number of general observations about the location of grain 

 facilities which can be made. These should l)e considered as an integral 

 part of the entire program of maximizing effiiciency in the dairy barn, de- 

 pending upon present facilities and methods, and whether the basic layout 

 involves a stanchion or pen stable. Some of these are: 



(1) Keep grain in one place. For example, if the present setup in- 

 volves storage of grain in bags at one point, and filling grain bins at another 

 point (from which point grain feeding begins), locate all grain at an optimum 

 place and eliminate one handling. 



(2) Investigate overhead-grain storage where there are space or ar- 

 rangement problems at the stable level. Use of this method suggests the 

 feasibility of a downspout from a bin which can be filled by bulk delivery 

 equipment or from bags at the convenience of farm workers. When a pen- 

 stable-milking parlor arrangement is involved, there may be merit in storing 

 grain away from the moist conditions of the milking parlor. 



(3) Take advantage of the "work center" approach in order to min- 

 imize travel distance."''' With stanchion stables, grain outlets should logically 

 be in the "feeding work center". With pen stables and a milking parlor, 

 grain outlets and feeding equipment may be in the '"milking work center". 



A fourth consideration, which appears initially to be of most signifi- 

 cance and benefit to the grain dealer, but which in the final analysis bears 

 upon the cost of grain, is that of the location and accessibility of the farm 

 receiving and storage facilities. These should be planned and located to per- 

 mit efficient delivery. Generally this would mean locating grain receiving 

 and storage facilities against or near an outside wall bordering an all- 

 weather driveway. 



The Nature of Facilities for Receiving, Storing, and Handling Grain. 



To provide a background on present practices in New Hampshire, 

 methods of receiving, storing, and handling grain were observed on 53 

 dairy farms. Frequency of delivery of grain to the farm was recorded in 44 

 cases; of these 17 received grain once per week, 19 every 2 weeks, one once 

 per month and 7 at somewhat irregular periods. 



As can be noted from Table 20, grain was most frequently stored in the 

 feed alley or in front of the cows. A smaller number had stable grain rooms. 

 Seven farms had overhead-bulk bins with spouts to the stable, and 5 had 

 overhead grain rooms for bagged feed. About three-fifths of the farms fed 

 grain from feed carts, the remainder from buckets. 



$Van Arsdall, R. M.; Ibach, D. B.; and Cleaver, T., Economic and Functional 

 Characteristics of Farm Dairy Buildings, 111. Agr. Exp. Sta. in Cooperation with 

 U.S.D.A., Bui. 570, Nov., 1953. 



Byers, G. B., Effect of Work Methods and Building Design on Building Costs 

 and Labor Efficiency for Dairy Chores, Ky. Agr. Exp. Sta., Bui. 589, June, 1952. 



Brown, L. H., A Comparative Analysis of Stanchion and Milking Parlor Barns, 

 Work Simplification News Letter, Purdue Work Simplification Lab., Issue No. 19, 

 June, 1948. 



Brown, L. H.; Cargill, D. F.; and Bookhout, B. R., Pen-Type Dairy Barns, Mich. 

 Agr. Exp. Sta., Spec. Bui. 363, June, 1950. 



* Woodworth, H. C, and Morrow, K. S., op. cit., pp. 10-14 



36 



