Jasper County Democrat, Volume 20, Number 86, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 January 1918 — BEEF CATTLE BARN AND PEN FOR BULL [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

BEEF CATTLE BARN AND PEN FOR BULL

Designed to Provide Plenty of Hay Storage With Large Feed Room. HAS MANY CONVENIENCES TOO These Include an Automatic Food Hopper, Covered Barnyard and Breeding Box—Suggestions for V :• Handling Bull. Mr. William A Radford will answw questions and give advice FREE OF COST on all subjects pertaining to the subject of building work on the farm, for the readers of this paper. On account of his wide experience as Editor, Author and Manufacturer, he Is, without doubt, the highest authority on all these subjects. Address all Inquiries^to William .i,. R&4ford. No. i 027 TTs.ii ,e aveliue, Chicago, 111., only Inclose two-cent stamp fo{ reply.

By WILLIAM A. RADFORD.

The beef cattle barn shown In the Illustrations is designed to provide a considerable storage for hay with convenient feeding arrangements for a good many cattle. The construction follows the plank frame type which utilizes only stock sizes of lumber which can be obtained in even the smallest Of lumber yards. This type of construction has become very popular in all parts of the country and It has many advantages, which are now generally known and accepted. This design provides for a basement under the whole barn with windows along four sides. A gambrel roof on the self-supporting plan covers the main building, with the peak of the roof pushed up high enough to make an extra large storage mow. On the east side of the barn is a shed open at the front, but closed in completely at one end and partially at the other. This part of the barn Is commonly called a covered barnyard. The foundation under the main bam Is a 12-inch concrete wall, with 24-inch footings. The wall Is high enough to make a 9-foot basement. With the

a wind-proof joint. Metal battens are used and the entire surface is afterwards painted. Along the north side fence is a shed roof to give further protection against wind and also to keep one side of the yard dry during a rainy time. The south fence, on the barnyard side, is made of heavy boards, four and onehalf feet high. The bull stall Is only about eight feet square, made like a box stall with a manger across the front, A drop door across the whole length of the manger may be opened and hooked up at feeding time or during pleasant weather. This door is also used to reach in to snap the bull lead into the ring in his nose. There is a plank extending along the front side of the exercising yard fence, so that the attendant may lead tlie bull to the breeding pen without entering the yard. The plan of arranging three gates at the far coriier of the bull pen Is an ingenious safety device. There are two gates between the bull and liberty, both opening in. If by any chance the fasteners should be unhooked, the weight of the gates hold them shut, as the Incline of the hinges pitches towards the posts. The fasteners on all three gates are bolts that may be reached from the raised plank steps. The exercising yard is 24 feet by 32 feet. This makes good quarters for the bull during the greater part of the year. The small box stall /Is made warm and comfortable for cold weather. A sliding door operated by a lever from the plank step opens or closes the bull stall. When It is necessary to clean the stall or the yard, the hull is fastened Into the breeding pen. «" ; ■.,; - - j

Io connection with this stable arrangement and the covered barnyard with Its feed racks and watering trough, which keep the cattle under cover when the weather Is rough and stormy, there should be a system of outside yards and paddocks where the cattle can be aired and exercised when the weather Is fit. This plan also includes a well designed bull pen. Very often a valuable bull, one that Is prised very highly, commences to show signs of bad temper when he is about three years old. Breeders of, live stock recognize that aged bulls of known prepotency are almost priceless to a breeder. A bull must not be closely confined, because he needs exercise, fresh air and companionship. Solitary confinement has ruined many good bulls. The nail plan drawing shows a suggestion

for a bull pen to be built in connection with this barn. It Is built along the north side of the barnyard, as an extension to the stock shed. In fact, the bull stall is built in the end of the stock shed and the yard extends 38 feet beyond. Good solid posts are planted 6 feet apart on the north line of the barnyard and a tight board fence is boarded on the outside and battened to make a wind break. The bottom of the wind break is made of coarse concrete, extending from post to post, the concrete being made flush with the outside of the posts, so that the boarding can be lapped down over the concrete to make

concrete floor in place there is 8 feet 6 Inches in the clear above the feed alley floors. There are rows of mangers in this basement running crosswise, so that each alley opens into the covered barnyard. There are feed racks in the shed and a watering tank at one end, so the cattle can feed and drink at any time. There are chutes from the storage mow to carry alfalfa hay directly to the feed racks in the covered barnyard. These chutes may be stuffed full of hay and it will feed down automatically into the racks, feed hopper fashion. As the cattle eat the hay from below it keeps sliding down. This arrangement is scientifically correct. The hay is not mussed over until it is eaten. The chutes are full of hay, which prevents an upward current of air from carrying the breath of the animals to contaminate the hay In the chutes. As an extra precaution, a slide door may be arranged at the upper; end of each chute to be closed each time after the chute is filled with hay. This method of feeding alfalfa to beef cattle is one which should be carefully considered, for it has many advantages over a less systematic and easily-handled system of feeding. Beef cattle to grow and lay on fat in the winter time must have great quantities of fodder. Concentrates are all right in making up rations, bnt they must be diluted with roughage.. By keeping fresh alfalfa hay and nice bright straw before the cattle within reach all the time and richer feeds given regularly In the stable, they will help themselves and mix up a ration that will keep them growing continually.

Bull Pen Floor Plan.

Floor Plan of Cattle Barn.