314 



Planning and Construction of Cow- Sheds. 



3 cows per bay on each side, and enabling future extensions to 

 be carried out in sections with the minimum of expense. One 

 advantage of this type of roof with internal supports is that the 

 external containing walls can be reduced to a minimum thickness 

 and constructed without the expense of intermediate piers under 

 each roof principal. 



The trusses have double wood members for the rafters and 

 tie beams with single ties and struts inserted between, all simply 

 spiked through at the joints and all being formed from 



4 in. x 1J in. scantlings. The post supports are constructed 

 of three 6 in. x ij in. pieces, stiffening the whole structure, 

 and are so placed that they do not interfere with the working or 

 accommodation of the building see Figs, 1 and 2. Incidentally 

 the low tie beam over the dunging passages provides easy and 

 convenient fixing for an overhead trolley should such be required 

 for the removal of dung. 



^ An important feature is the method of top lighting and ventila- 

 tion, the centre of the roof over the feeding passage being raised 

 at intervals for the purpose of inserting ventilating louvres and 

 skylights, the tops of these raised portions being glazed. Gal- 

 vanised iron sheets were used for the roof covering and thus all 

 common rafters are eliminated, the sheets being spiked to purlins 

 supported on the trusses at 10 ft. 6 in. centres. 



A light matchboard lining secured to the underside of the 

 purlins prevents cold air and condensation from the iron roof 

 descending upon the cows below. Tt will be noticed from the 

 section that adequate stiffening is given by means of the cross 

 braces, the whole roof being very rigid though formed of such 

 small scantling timber. 



Fittings and Details.— The doors are framed and braced, hung 

 in two halves, and the windows are of the hopper type placed 

 on each side for cross ventilation. As before stated the stall 

 divisions are tubular and the American Yoke fitting is used for 

 the ties. The use of these fittings enabled the cow standings 

 to be reduced fully six inches in length and the width of the 

 building is correspondingly reduced, an economy of space and 

 material which partly compensates for the more expensive type 

 of fitting. 



The feeding troughs are of concrete, continuous from end to 

 end, as the Yoke fittings restrict " poaching " to a minimum 

 and thus cleaning out is facilitated and the expense of cross 

 divisions in the mangers is avoided. The dung gutters are only 



