Stall housing of cattle is used if it is impossible for the animals to graze, in the absence of pastures or in the absence of a significant number of livestock on the farm. It is typical for suburban farms; proximity to the city, abundance of transport, and lack of free space leave farmers with only one option - to equip their animals with a high-tech complex so that constant stay indoors does not affect health and productivity.
General information about housing and grazing
Stall housing - when the cattle population is constantly in the barn, receives ready-made feed (including fresh grass), and in order to save the animals from problems due to the lack of movement, only walking areas are used.
If animals are driven out to pasture every day, where they independently find green mass, the keeping is called pasture. For pastures, flat areas with high grass stand are selected. There should be a pond nearby (at a distance of no more than 1-2 kilometers) so that animals have access to water. If there is no reservoir nearby, wells and drinking troughs for livestock will be installed.
Pasture farming is much healthier for animals than stall housing and is cheaper for the farmer. Cows do not suffer from lack of physical activity and acquire strong immunity. However, today there are fewer and fewer free spaces for free grazing. Areas of distribution of pasture keeping of cattle are the Lower Volga region, Kalmykia, Rostov region.
Important: irrational use of pastures, trampling of territories, pollution of river and lake banks with animal waste products, lack of proper water purification can lead to desertification of habitual grazing areas. Therefore, modern highly mechanized large livestock complexes require cows to be kept in stalls.
Advantages and disadvantages
Keeping cows in a stall is convenient when the number of livestock is high; automation of processes makes caring for animals easier.
If the complex is large and farmers save on wastewater treatment facilities, the problem of pollution of adjacent areas and a constant unpleasant odor arises.
Premises requirements
Stall keeping cows is divided into tethered and untethered systems. With a tethered system, each cow is in a separate stall, 1.8-2.0 meters long and 1.0-1.2 meters wide. The animal is secured with a chain, feeders and drinking bowls are equipped in the front part, and a system for removing manure is located at the rear. The size of the stall varies depending on the age of the animals, breed and gender. Larger pens are provided for bulls and pregnant cows. The stalls are placed in a row, adjacent rows are connected by a feed or manure passage.
Solid or slatted floors with a slope of 2-3 ° are equipped. Windows and doors are insulated to prevent drafts. In a barn with a large number of animals, a centralized water supply is mandatory. Animals need free access to water. If there are few animals, individual drinking bowls and feeders are equipped. With a significant number of livestock, the feed distribution process is automated.
A walking area is equipped next to the barn building, it is fenced, and, if necessary, a canopy is provided.The area must be protected from the wind; each animal on the run must have 15-16 square meters of area.
Free-stall housing requires a large area of the barn. In this case, the cows move freely all day and come to a special room with equipment for milking.
To train cows to come for milking, they are given hay and mineral supplements during the process. They milk at the same time, the animals quickly get used to the regime. The animals rest on a deep bedding of straw and sawdust, or boxes are equipped like stalls in which the livestock are kept. To avoid clashes in groups of animals, cows are divided into groups according to age, sex, period of heat and pregnancy.
Sanitary requirements for keeping cows
A complex for keeping cattle should include: a room for storing feed, a barn, and a walking area. Animals are provided with high-quality food, clean, without signs of mold or rot. The water in drinking bowls is not lower than +12 °C, it must be clean and meet sanitary standards. Daily (preferably 2 times a day) cleaning of manure indoors is mandatory.
Daily walking of animals is necessary; they must walk at least 1.5-2 kilometers. Walking areas are equipped with a durable coating (concrete, asphalt), which should be systematically cleaned and snow and ice removed in winter.
Drinkers and feeders are systematically cleaned of food residues and treated with a 2% hot solution of baking soda. Animals must be examined by a veterinarian. If a disease is detected, the cow must be isolated from the rest of the herd and treated. In the event of infectious diseases occurring on the farm, quarantine measures are required.
The optimal option for water supply for dairy cows on pasture
In a barn with a large number of animals, running water is necessary. Beginning farmers often install a metal water tank indoors and fill it as needed. Typically, farmers use a pasture-stall system for keeping cows. In summer, animals are on pasture, in winter - in stalls. This ensures high animal productivity and protects cows’ legs from diseases. Since animals need access to clean water, an area near a stream or river is selected for grazing. Animals should not be given water from ponds; the water should be running.
The area where the animals are watered is fenced off and a convenient gentle slope is made so that the cows do not injure their legs. The shore area must be systematically cleaned of excrement. In hot weather, cows should drink 4-5 times a day. Before setting up a drinking area for animals, water from the reservoir is analyzed to determine its quality.
Keeping animals in stalls throughout the year is a necessary measure. This method is convenient, but expensive for the farmer; animals suffer from a lack of fresh air and movement. At the slightest opportunity, it should be replaced by pasture or mixed species.
