40 THE COW IN HEALTH AND DISEASE 



there should be four square feet of light for 

 each cow. 



Cows that are uncomfortable are not able to 

 produce as much as they otherwise would, 

 therefore the stalls should be of sufficient 

 width and length that the cow will be com- 

 fortable when lying down, but only of such 

 length that the droppings will fall intoi the 

 manure pit and not upon the floor where the 

 cow will become soiled. The size of the stall 

 will vary some for different sized cows. A 

 very large cow needing a floor about 5 feet 2 

 inches long and 3 feet wide, while a smaller 

 cow will require one about 4 feet 6 inches 

 long and 3 feet wide. The stanchion should 

 be of a swinging variety so that the animal 

 can get its head in a comfortable position 

 while lying down. 



The ventilation is one of the most important 

 things to be considered as it is absolutely neces- 

 sary to change the air and have it replaced 

 by pure fresh air at frequent intervals, if we 

 would keep the cows healthy. The ceiling 

 should under no consideration be too low. 



The barn should be constructed of material 

 that can be thoroughly and easily cleaned and 

 thoroughly disinfected. For this reason concrete 

 and steel have become much more popular in 

 the construction of dairy barns than wood. 

 The cow barn should be located where the 

 drainage is good and away from any out-build- 

 ings that are apt to give off an offensive odor. 



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