54 REPORT OF THE SCOTTISH COMMISSION 



The Cow Byre 



The cow byre is the only part of the steading specially worthy 

 of our attention. The principle universally adopted in its con- 

 struction is to have two passages, one before and the other behind 

 the cattle, and a favourite arrangement where the byres are large 

 is a double byre with the heads of the two rows of cattle towards 

 a feeding passage which has its floor raised to the level of the upper 

 edge of the feeding troughs. 



The width of the building is about .33 feet, which is appor- 

 tioned as follows : In the centre is the feeding passage, about 4 

 feet wide. On both sides of this passage are the troughs. These 

 troughs are each about 9 feet long, and are partitioned so as to 

 allow a portion for each beast. There are stancheons between 

 each stall, and the standing place for the cow is feet long and is 

 arranged to slope so that all liquids quickly drain into the gutter 

 at the back of the stalls. The gutter is about 1| feet wide, and 

 the bottom of it is about 9 inches below the level of the stall. 

 Beyond this gutter running up to the wall of the byre is a passage 

 for the attendant to remove the dung and to pass behind the cow. 

 This passage is about 5 feet wide and slopes towards the gutter. 

 The liquid manure collected in these gutters is taken away by 

 pipes to the liquid manure tank. 



One sees here and there an ingenious labour-saving contrivance. 

 It may be to facilitate orderly feeding by keeping back the whole 

 row of cows till all are supplied with food, or for watering, which 

 is frequently done by gravitation controlled by one trough and 

 automatic arrangement for having the water stand at the same 

 level in all the stalls, but nothing in the structure of the byre is of 

 special interest excepting perhaps the great byres which were seen 

 at some of the model farms. 



On entering an ordinary Danish byre we first notice the low 

 ceiling occasioned by the fodder loft above, for, at many of the 

 farms, this is the arrangement; then the small cubic space per cow; 

 and in a summer day the warm unwholesome atmosphere, should 

 the cattle happen to be in their stalls, as is frequently the case, the 

 soiling system being more or less practised every season on most 

 farms in Denmark. The byres internally are no better kept than 

 our own, and they in some cases fall short of our ideas of air space 

 and sanitation. 



The Cows 



Next the cows come under review. They are not much to look 

 at, but they do look like the purpose they are there for, which 

 cannot be said of many that are kept nearer home. The Danish 

 farmer believes in the gospel that, " cows are for giving milk," 

 and his success in realising this forms an object lesson worthy of 

 very careful consideration by all breeders and feeders of dairy 

 stock. At the head of each cow attention is attracted by a small 



