It is important for every farmer that his livestock live in convenience and comfort. This is especially true for cows: it has been scientifically proven that the happier they are, the tastier the milk is, and the more offspring they give. But a cow is a sensitive animal; she really doesn’t like dirt, cold and dampness. Therefore, today we will talk about how to build a cozy barn for 5 cows, build its approximate diagram and discuss the dimensions.
Drawings and sizing calculations
Before you begin construction, you must determine the following factors:
- Place of construction.
- Building material.
- Operating conditions.
- Interior arrangement.
When everything has been decided, you can draw up a project. Please note that the barn should be located on a level place, where the wind will not blow through it. If you don’t have such a place on your site, you will have to fork out for special equipment and level the selected area.
When building a barn for 5 animals, you should take into account that you will need at least space for 5 stalls, but it is advisable to have a little more space.
The dimensions of one stall are calculated so that the cow feels comfortable and free in it. Consider the following: the length of an adult cow from nose to tail is 260 cm. To shake her head without hitting the fence, she needs about 80 cm. Summarizing, we get more than three meters: this is exactly how much is needed for the cow to feel comfortable. In a stall that's too short cow udder will crawl over the edge, and its hind legs and tail will become dirty with manure.
Preparation of building materials
As a rule, cows are most comfortable in “houses” made of ordinary building materials: wood, brick, concrete or cinder block. But choose carefully, because each of them has both pros and cons.
For the best result, you can combine building materials in your project, combining their best qualities and eliminating disadvantages. You can build a foundation of brick or rubble, and walls of wood or brick. Concrete is better suited for the floor because of its high strength. However, it conducts heat poorly, so you will need to cover the floor with sawdust or straw. Slate or tiles are perfect for the roof.
Construction stages
Once the location has been chosen, the budget has been calculated, and the drawings are in hand, construction can begin.
The basis of any building is the foundation. Choose what it should be:
- Columnar.
- Tape.
- Monolithic.
This video explains in detail how best to choose a foundation, and which one is more effective for what:
Floor
When the solid foundation is ready, you can begin preparing the future floor. It should be as warm and moisture resistant as possible. As a rule, the floor should be slightly above ground level, with a slight slope - to divert various waste to the drain. Just don’t overdo it with the slope: 3 degrees will be enough.
A concrete floor is our everything: it is strong, durable and moisture-resistant, and its main drawback - poor thermal conductivity - can be easily corrected. Cover the floor with warm material and you're done. Now the barn will become much more comfortable.
Walls
For a five-head barn, wood or adobe bricks work well. These materials are very inexpensive and also have excellent thermal insulation properties. Moreover, they will not cost too much money. There will not be much hassle with the construction of walls if you have already decided what material you will build the shed from and act strictly according to your design.
Roof
The last stage of construction is the construction of the roof. As a rule, in cowsheds they are made of wooden floors or roofing sheets forming a gable structure. It is better to finish with tiles, but you can also use slate.It will also be possible to build an attic space for storing hay or some equipment. For our small barn, a pitched roof is also suitable.
Doors and windows
Cows, like all living creatures, love natural light. Therefore, the total window area should be 10% of the floor area. In this case, the lower part of the window should be at a level of 150-160 cm from the floor level.
Windows can be installed in a variety of ways: hinged, sliding, with double-glazed windows or made of polycarbonate. But the doors must be swinging: remember that it should be convenient not only for you to enter and exit through them, but also for the cows. And if you also equip them with insulation, then in winter the cows will not freeze in their cozy home.
Interior arrangement
Now that the “frame” of our barn is ready, it’s time to talk about its internal arrangement.
Gutters
First of all, what distinguishes a barn from a regular barn or stable is the system of gutters and a slurry tank installed inside. We have already said that the floor should be slightly inclined to facilitate the flow of sewage into the system. These gutters converge at one point: a liquid collector, the volume of which must be at least 1 sq.m. It should be at least 80 cm deep and more than 1 m wide. All this is done to make cleaning the barn easier.
Stalls
There is nothing complicated about them: you can build them from wood or metal pipes. Also plan where you will place the waterers, feeders and salt compartment.
Drinkers and feeders should not be part of the stalls. As a rule, they are made of plastic or metal and must be constructed separately. Make sure that the width of the feeder is at least 40 cm and is located at the level of the cow's knee.
Carefully calculate the volume of the drinker based on how many cows you have. Cows do not drink stagnant water, so it is worth changing it on time.
Ventilation
Finally, ventilation is important to cow comfort. After all, in the summer heat, cows lose their appetite and begin to produce less milk. So ventilation in the barn must also be forced to remove polluted air and replace it with fresh air. We are, of course, talking about small windows, vents or hoods with dampers.
The comfort and convenience of the barn is extremely important not only for the cows that will live in it, but also for you - because the quality of life of the cattle determines what product you get at the end. Therefore, the construction of a barn is approached carefully.
