Replacement Housing

Two-row gated freestallA two-row gated freestall barn can provide good housing, Fig 11. Two rows of freestalls along one side of a single bunk, all under roof, provides flexibility in feeding system design. Depending on the particular layout, feeding may be accomplished with a feed cart, mechanical bunk or mobile scale mixer. In three-row barns, there is limited bunk space; when feed is always available, competition for feed can be managed.

Two-row gated freestalls with optional outside exercise lots, can be used in good weather, Fig 12. Manure in the gated freestall system is easily removed by a tractor-mounted scraper. Cows are fenced in one alley while the other alley is cleaned. When the feed bunk is located on the south or east side in a cold barn, the bunk side of the building may be left open. In warm housing, 4"-8" wide slats are an alternative for manure handling. Slats could be placed over gravity channels to separate manure from animals.

Drive-through gated freestall

Gated freestall barns can be expanded for larger herds by using a common center feed alley. Stall rows are located on both sides of the feed alley. Feeding can be accomplished with drive-through feeding alleys sized for a feed wagon or feed cart.

Bedded Pack

Bedded pack housing is commonly used in conjunction with an outside feeding and exercise area, Fig 13. However, there are advantages of roofing the entire area including the scrape and feeding alley. Provide enough space for each group of animals in the bedded resting area, Table 3. The bedded area is roofed and provides a warm, draft-free resting surface.

Bedded pack barns are often sized to allow installation of a scrape alley and freestalls at a later date.

Macadam or crushed rock surface can be used under the resting area pack. If concrete is used, provide drainage by sloping to the scraped manure alley.

Add bedding to the upper end of the resting area pack as needed. Remove manure and bedding as a solid 2-4 times a year. A substantial amount of bedding is required to keep animals clean and dry.

Paved feeding alleys are typically scraped 2-3 times per week.

Extending the roof over this area reduces runoff. To provide for a system with an outside lot, the feeding alley is extended away from the building and is generally not roofed. Runoff must be controlled to prevent surface water and groundwater contamination.

Outside drive-by feeding can be done or the feed platform can be roofed under the same building when a scrape alley is used. The bunk can be roofed separately when an outside lot is used. Bunk space may be limited in this type of housing so feed should be available at all times to limit competition.

Counter-sloped barn

The counter-sloped barn, a relatively low cost facility, is based on a sloped resting and feeding floor separated by a tractor scraped alley, Fig

14. The resting floor and feeding floor are sloped 8% (l"/ft) toward the center scrape alley and are self-cleaning. Size the resting area of the pens to allow for a self-cleaning resting area. Table 3.

Runoff from uncovered alleys must be controlled to prevent stream and groundwater pollution. The building can also be designed to be completely under roof to control water entry. This system is not recommended for heifers younger than six months or bred heifers during the last three months of pregnancy because of bedding and the larger group sizes.

Optional outside lots

Optional outside lots can sometimes be incorporated into building design when desired. Outside lots can help reduce manure accumulation in the building, but must be cleaned and managed properly. Outside lots may be of some benefit in reducing foot and leg problems in dry cows. Pasture is sometimes used as part of the feed ration. Animal density is low to allow the pasture to recover after grazing. Pasture can be rotated to provide rest and recovery of vegetation. Pasture that is too heavily grazed becomes a dirt lot over time and can cause problems when not managed properly.

Dirt exercise lots tend to have a high animal density and typically have little or no vegetative cover. They become muddy in wet weather and can cause environmental mastitis in heifers before they enter the milking herd. Use dirt lots only when weather permits.

Concrete paved exercise lots can be incorporated into building designs either as an exercise area or an integral part of the building design.