dairy farm
- Thread starter pankaj11
- Start date
Types of Housing
The most widely prevalent practice in this country is to tie the cows with rope on a Katchafloor except some organized dairy farms belonging to government, co-operatives or military where proper housing facilities exist. It is quit easy to understand that unless cattle are provide with good housing facilities, the animals will move too far in or out of the standing space, defecating all round and even causing trampling and wasting of feed by stepping into the mangers. The animals will be exposed to extreme weather conditions all leading to bad health and lower production.
Dairy cattle may be successfully housed under a wide variety of conditions, ranging from close confinement to little restrictions except at milking time. However, two types of dairy barns are in general use at the present time.
1. The loose housing barn in combination with some type of milking barn or parlor.
2. The conventional dairy barn.
Loose housing system:
Loose housing may be defined as a system where animals are kept loose except milking and at the time of treatment. The system is most economical. Some features of loose housing system are as follows.
•Cost of construction is significantly lower than conventional type.
•It is possible to make further expansion without change
•Facilitate easy detection of animal in heat.
•Animals feel free and therefore, proves more profitable with even minimum grazing
•Animals get optimum excise which is extremely important for better health production.
•Over all better management can be rendered.
Cattle Shed
The entire shed should be surrounded by a boundary wall of. 5" height from three side and manger etc., on one side. The feeding area should be provided with 2 to 2 ½ feet of manger space per cow. All along the manger, there shall be 10" wide water trough to provide clean, even, available drinking water. The water trough thus constructed will also minimize the loss of fodders during feeding. Near the manger, under the roofed house 5' wide floor should be paved with bricks having a little slope.
Beyond that, there should be open unpaved area (40'X35') surrounded by 5' wall with one gate. It is preferable that animals face north when they are eating fodder under the shade. During cold wind in winter the animals will automatically lie down to have the protection from the walls.
Shed for calves
On one side of the main cattle shed there be fully covered shed "10'x15' to accommodate young calves. Such sheds with suitable partitioning, may also serve as calving pen under adverse climatic conditions. Beyond this covered area there should be a 20'x10' open area having boundary wall so that calves may move there freely.
In this way both calf and cattle sheds will need in all 50'x50' area for 20 adult cows and followers. If one has limited resources, he can build ordinary, Katcha/semikatcha boundary walls but feeding and water trough should be cemented ones.
Conventional Dairy Barn
The conventional dairy barns are comparatively costly and are now becoming less popular day by day. However, by this system cattle are more protected from adverse climatic condition.
The following barns are generally needed for proper housing of different classes
Dairy stock in the farm
•Cow houses or sheds
•Calving box
•Isolation box
•Sheds for young stocks
•Bull or bullock sheds
Cow Sheds
Cow sheds can be arranged in a single row if the numbers of cows are small. Say less than 10 or in a double row if the herd is a large one. Ordinarily, not more than 80 to 100 cows should be placed in one building. In double row housing, the stable should be so arranged that the cows face out (tails to tail system) or face in (head to head system) as preferred.
Advantages of tail to tail system
•Under the average conditions, 125 to 150 man hours of labour are required per cow per year. Study of time: Time motion studies in dairies showed that 40% of the expended time is spent in front of the cow, and 25% in other parts of the barn and the milk house, and 60% of the time is spent behind the cows. Time spent at the back of the cows is 4 times more than the time spent in front of them.
•In cleaning and milking the cows, the wide middle alley is of great advantage.
•Lesser danger of spread of diseases from animal to animal.
•Cows can always get more fresh air from outside.
•The head gowala can inspect a greater number of milkmen while milking. This is possible because milkmen will be milking on both sides of the gowala.
•Any sort of minor disease or any change in the hind quarters of the animals can be detected quickly and even automatically.
Advantages of face to face system
•Cows make a better showing for visitors when heads are together
•The cows feel easier to get into their stalls.
•Sun rays shine in the gutter where they are needed most.
•Feeding of cows is easier, both rows can be fed without back tracking.
•It is better for narrow barns.
The most widely prevalent practice in this country is to tie the cows with rope on a Katchafloor except some organized dairy farms belonging to government, co-operatives or military where proper housing facilities exist. It is quit easy to understand that unless cattle are provide with good housing facilities, the animals will move too far in or out of the standing space, defecating all round and even causing trampling and wasting of feed by stepping into the mangers. The animals will be exposed to extreme weather conditions all leading to bad health and lower production.
Dairy cattle may be successfully housed under a wide variety of conditions, ranging from close confinement to little restrictions except at milking time. However, two types of dairy barns are in general use at the present time.
1. The loose housing barn in combination with some type of milking barn or parlor.
2. The conventional dairy barn.
Loose housing system:
Loose housing may be defined as a system where animals are kept loose except milking and at the time of treatment. The system is most economical. Some features of loose housing system are as follows.
•Cost of construction is significantly lower than conventional type.
•It is possible to make further expansion without change
•Facilitate easy detection of animal in heat.
•Animals feel free and therefore, proves more profitable with even minimum grazing
•Animals get optimum excise which is extremely important for better health production.
•Over all better management can be rendered.
Cattle Shed
The entire shed should be surrounded by a boundary wall of. 5" height from three side and manger etc., on one side. The feeding area should be provided with 2 to 2 ½ feet of manger space per cow. All along the manger, there shall be 10" wide water trough to provide clean, even, available drinking water. The water trough thus constructed will also minimize the loss of fodders during feeding. Near the manger, under the roofed house 5' wide floor should be paved with bricks having a little slope.
Beyond that, there should be open unpaved area (40'X35') surrounded by 5' wall with one gate. It is preferable that animals face north when they are eating fodder under the shade. During cold wind in winter the animals will automatically lie down to have the protection from the walls.
Shed for calves
On one side of the main cattle shed there be fully covered shed "10'x15' to accommodate young calves. Such sheds with suitable partitioning, may also serve as calving pen under adverse climatic conditions. Beyond this covered area there should be a 20'x10' open area having boundary wall so that calves may move there freely.
In this way both calf and cattle sheds will need in all 50'x50' area for 20 adult cows and followers. If one has limited resources, he can build ordinary, Katcha/semikatcha boundary walls but feeding and water trough should be cemented ones.
Conventional Dairy Barn
The conventional dairy barns are comparatively costly and are now becoming less popular day by day. However, by this system cattle are more protected from adverse climatic condition.
The following barns are generally needed for proper housing of different classes
Dairy stock in the farm
•Cow houses or sheds
•Calving box
•Isolation box
•Sheds for young stocks
•Bull or bullock sheds
Cow Sheds
Cow sheds can be arranged in a single row if the numbers of cows are small. Say less than 10 or in a double row if the herd is a large one. Ordinarily, not more than 80 to 100 cows should be placed in one building. In double row housing, the stable should be so arranged that the cows face out (tails to tail system) or face in (head to head system) as preferred.
Advantages of tail to tail system
•Under the average conditions, 125 to 150 man hours of labour are required per cow per year. Study of time: Time motion studies in dairies showed that 40% of the expended time is spent in front of the cow, and 25% in other parts of the barn and the milk house, and 60% of the time is spent behind the cows. Time spent at the back of the cows is 4 times more than the time spent in front of them.
•In cleaning and milking the cows, the wide middle alley is of great advantage.
•Lesser danger of spread of diseases from animal to animal.
•Cows can always get more fresh air from outside.
•The head gowala can inspect a greater number of milkmen while milking. This is possible because milkmen will be milking on both sides of the gowala.
•Any sort of minor disease or any change in the hind quarters of the animals can be detected quickly and even automatically.
Advantages of face to face system
•Cows make a better showing for visitors when heads are together
•The cows feel easier to get into their stalls.
•Sun rays shine in the gutter where they are needed most.
•Feeding of cows is easier, both rows can be fed without back tracking.
•It is better for narrow barns.
Hello,
I am planning to set up a dairy farm in goa with cattle strength of 10 crossbred cows. i need help on the following topics
(1)what kind of cowshed should i build?
-tail to tail or face to face?
- what are the advantages and disadvantages of each of these layouts?
Last edited:
uraj patil
New Member
planing to set upa dairy farm.
it dosent matter how yu consrut. Any method applied,has its significance. I hav a cow farm of indian cow [ 45 geer cow] which is biilt in traditional method i.e. cow facing in one direction . here is a suggestion ;why dont yu plan to have acow farm of discriptive cows i.e. geer ,red sindhi ,sahiwal etc . if yu interested please see me at face book. uraj patil ,id
it dosent matter how yu consrut. Any method applied,has its significance. I hav a cow farm of indian cow [ 45 geer cow] which is biilt in traditional method i.e. cow facing in one direction . here is a suggestion ;why dont yu plan to have acow farm of discriptive cows i.e. geer ,red sindhi ,sahiwal etc . if yu interested please see me at face book. uraj patil ,id
Last edited by a moderator:
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Regards, SK Lakshmanan
Regards, SK Lakshmanan