Jasper County Democrat, Volume 22, Number 49, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 September 1919 — MODERN BARN FOR THE SMALL DAIRY [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

MODERN BARN FOR THE SMALL DAIRY

Building to House 18 Cows and Feed Supply Is Described. GOOD PROFIT 01 MILK HERD Up-to-Date Housing and Silo Are Positive Necessity—They Keep HighPriced Animals Healthy, Save Labor and Conserve Food. Mr. William A. Radford will answer questions and give advice FREE OF COST on all subjects pertaining to the mbject of building work on the farm, for ihe readers of this paper. On account of >is wide experience as Editor. Author and Manufacturer, he is, without doubt, the ilghest authority on all these subjects, tddresr all Inquiries to William A. Rad'ord. No. 1827 Prairie avenue, Chicago, 11, and only Inclose three-cent stamp for ■epiyHousing tile dairy herd in the winter io that the cows will be most producIveand most profitable is not much >f a problem for the modern dairyman. The present-day methods of designing ind constructing dairy barns have >een brought to a science by farm luildlng architects and the comfort

md health of the animals, two things necessary If they are to be profitable, are provided for. Keeping a dairy herd Is one of the most profitable parts of the farming business. Not only are the cows Revenue producers, but they supply the farm owner with fertilizer that is necessary to keep the soil at its best. For these reasons the fa’rmers who keep goed-slzed herds of cows are Increasing in numbers each year. Seven months tn the year in ths corn belt the cows are fed and housed In a barn. A<<d to feed them and water them and milk them and do the other work that is necessary requires a considerable amount of time. At the present price of farm labor, time really Is money and the modern barn is designed and equipped so that all this work can be done least amount of effort* Barns of Several Types. Dairy barns are of but the farm qwner with a herd of eighteen or twenty cows wants a building that can be constructed economically and will be weather-proof and arranged conveniently. Such a barn is shown in the accompanying design. This

barn is planned for a herd of 20 cows, their calves and one bull, with storage room for the feed supply. The dimensions of the buuamg’are 86 by 60 feet. It is of standard plank frame construction, set on a concrete foundation. The gambrel-trussed roof, which eliminates all posts in the hayloft, permits the storage of a maximum amount of roughage, while the silo at one end provides the animals with" fresh feed all winter. There are many interesting features — features that make this a modern, efficient barn —shown in the floor plan of the dairy stable that accompanies this article. Through the center of the barn there is a driveway. 6 feet 6 inches wide, while on either side are litter alleys, 5 feet 2 inches wide. \ Arrangement of Stalls. The single cow stalls are ranged along the driveway, which also is used as the feed alley. Single stalls facing the feed alley provide for 16 cows, eight on each side. At the front of "the building are two stalls, a bull pen and a pen for the calves. At the rear of the building are feed rooms and the entrance to the silo chute, while on either side is an open water tank, supplied by\the farm water system. There are ten on each side of the barn and a ventilation system leading to the ventilators on the roof. All of these features will have an Immediate appeal to the dairyman who

has made a study of the best method of housing his stock and of caring for the animals. The feed alley is equipped with an overhead carrier system that leads from the silo and feed rooms to each stall. The ensilage and grain are placed in the carrier and taken to each manger, which, it readily Will be seen, eliminates many steps and much time. Carriers are over each litter alley and lead to the manure pit or pile either side of the silo at the rear of the barn. Here again the work is done easily and with a minimum expenditure of time. Tanks Do Not Freeze. The stall floors as well as the stable floor are constructed of concrete. At the rear of each row of stalls is a gutter, with a drain at one end. It Is the work of but a few minutes to flush these gutters after the manure has been removed. The indoor watqr tanks will not freeze in the winter and water always is available for the stock. With a small additional expense the water can be piped to individual drinking cups at each stall. Sunshine and fresh air are two of the things that keep the cows healthy and productive. The windows in this barn permit the sunshine to fall on the litter alleys and gutters. Sunshine kills germs and keeps the barn air wholesome. The windows also admit plenty' of fresh air, the foul air being drawn out of the stable through the shafts and out of the ventilatorston the roof. Just a word about the silo. Onethird of the feed value of corn is in

the stalk. Consequently one-third of the productive value of each acre planted to corn is conserved when the stalks are chopped and store*’ in the silo. This is the only fresh i* J that can be provided for cows In the winter, and there is not only a saving in money, but the cows fed on ensilage produce a larger amount of milk, that is heavier in butterfat. Positive Necessities. A modern barn and silo are positive necessities In modern dairy farming. They keep high-priced animals healthy and productive, save labor, and conserve feed, which at its present price is good business. In planning a dairy barn, or general purpose-barn, It is always well to consult the local architect, builder and material dealer before deciding on the design. These men know how a barn should be built to supply the needs of the individual. They also can tell what such a building will cost, qpd will help finance the building should it be necessary. Dairy products qre high in price Just as are other farm products. And they will continue so for some years to come, according to those who are la

a position to predict future conditions. For these reasons the farmer or dairyman who is successful must' have his milk and butter manufacturing estab- • Ashment built and equipped so that he can produce what he has to sell at the least cost. In this way his herd will pay him a handsome profit.