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Show HBO? DAIRY COW NEEDS SANITARY STABLE i The dairy cow may be compared to a machine, In that she is a compll cnted mechanism which turns raw ma terials, such as grain and other food. Into the finished products, milk au butterfat. The more efficiently a ma chine works, the more is its earning capacity assured. It the dairy cow can be kept In good condition, more dollars go Into the dairyman's bank account. Only part of the feed consumed con-sumed by a dairy cow goes to produce milk. The remainder must necessarily go to maintain good physical condition. ; which is dependent upon keeping up a ' good supply of baby heat. Only that part of the feed which goes to produce milk enters into the dairyman's protits. He receives no direct financial returns ; from the feed used to keep the cow. ) If animals are housed in uncomfortable, uncomfort-able, Insanitary, foul-smelling, poorly ventilated barns their vigor and vitality vital-ity Is reduced to a low measure. This is because a larger portion of the feed which they receive is required to maintain main-tain good physical condition, and little ! of it goes to produce milk. From a business standpoint therefore, It is important im-portant that the health and comfort of a cow be safeguarded if her keep Is to be profitable. This is in a great measure insured when she Is properly housed. If possible the dairy barn should be located so that its long dimension will extend north and south, thus presenting present-ing the greatest area of window opening open-ing on the east and west sides. This will permit sunlight, one of the cheapest and most effective ngentfl for keeping stock quarters free from ' disease dis-ease germs, to reach prcaticnlly all points within the barn at some time during the day. A sheltered yard, preferably pref-erably located on the south or east, side of the building, is very desirable. An abundance of sunlight, uniform temperature, plentiful supply of fresh air with freedom from draughts and the highest possible degree of cleanliness cleanli-ness are necessary to the dairy barn. In determining upon the number and size of window openings, it is common to provide four square feet of glass per animal housed. Floors, mangers, gutters and alleyways should be made of concrete because it is nonabsorbent, and may easily be cleaned and kept clean. In several states boards of health require concrete dairy barn floors. Concrete gutters and alleyways make the work of cleaning out stock quarters easy. Because concrete floors are nonabsorbent, the most valuable fertilizing elements in stable waste are saved. Feed mangers simplify and reduce re-duce the labor of feeding stock, and re highly sanitary. The experience of dairymen having reinforced concrete !oft floors in their barns has proved the value of this feature fea-ture of construction in case of fire. A number of cases are on record where the entire contents of the loft of such u barn have been destroyed by fire, while the animals below were led to safety without loss, furthermore the stock quarters were unharmed. Ventilation of stock quarters should lie given careful consideration. Proper ventilation requires a continuous change of air. The size and number of passages will depend upon the number num-ber and kind of stock housed. In case of doubt it would be well to submit proposed barn plans to a specialist in ventilation or someone familiar with ventilating problems, and secure his opinion of the proposed details of any ventilating system. |