﻿14 BULLETIN 1, U. S. DEPAKTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



DAIRY HOUSES. 



Milk houses on certified farms vary almost as greatly as do the 

 stables. Stone, brick, wood, and cement are used for their construc- 

 tion. The same rules regarding the absence of ledges and the smooth- 

 ness of the walls, floors, and ceilings should be observed. An entirely 

 separate room should be provided for handling the milk, and in the 

 majority of certified dairies this room is kept tightly closed while milk 

 is being bottled and no visitors are allowed access to it. In some of 

 the milk rooms air is supplied through a filter, so that there is no 

 danger of bacteria being admitted from the outside air. Screens 

 should be provided for all openings in the milk house, and there is 

 no excuse for flies in the milk room. 



HEALTH AND CLEANLINESS OF CATTLE. 



The medical milk commissions require the tuberculin testing of 

 the herds under their supervision. In addition, any cows showing 

 abnormal symptoms or any form of disease which might affect the 

 milk are eliminated from certified herds. The cattle are carefully 

 groomed at least once a day so that there can be no accumulation of 

 filth upon them, and in many dairies the cows' tails are washed 

 daily. Many certified-milk producers are in the habit of clipping 

 the hairs from the udders, flanks, legs, and bellies of all the animals, 

 so that they are the more readily kept clean. A few certified dairies 

 have installed vacuum cleaners with which the cows are cleaned 

 previous to milking. These cleaners take up much of the dust, loose 

 hairs, and scurf which would simply be brushed into the air of the 

 stable by hand cleaning. After the cows are cleaned they are fas- 

 tened so that they can not lie down until the milkers are through. 



REMOVAL OF MANURE. 



Wherever practicable the manure should be carried to the field 

 daily. Many dairies follow this custom and find it economical, in 

 that the manure does not have to be handled twice, as it would were 

 it kept in a pit. At other dairies covered pits are built for the re- 

 ception of the manure. Where these are built they should be of 

 water-tight construction and should be tightly screened and covered 

 to keep out flies. 



BEDDING. 



While straw is used for bedding in some of the certified dairies, a 

 large number use either planer shavings or sawdust. Baled shav- 

 ings may be had at a nominal price and make a very satisfactory 

 bedding in sanitary dairies. As fast as these shavings are soiled or 

 become damp they should be removed with the manure and replaced 

 with clean, dry shavings. 



