1. Dairy Housing and Equipment

2. Housing

3. What is a stall barn? Each cow has its own stall
Held in by a neck chain or a metal yokes

4. Stall barn Advantages Allows more individual attention to each cow
Easier to observe and treat each cow
Better display of breeding stock

5. Stall barn Disadvantages
More labor and time needed to fasten and release cows
Harder to use with a milking parlor
Harder to keep the area clean
More bedding needed
More labor needed for feeding
Stooping required when milking in stall barns
Moisture problem is greater, especially in older barns

6. Stall barns

7. What are Free Stalls
not restrained and are free to enter, lie down and leave the barn whenever they choose.

8. Free stall advantages It requires less bedding
Cows stay cleaner compared to loose housing
Fewer injuries to teats and udders
It requires less space than for other loose housing systems
It is easier to use with a milking parlor
It is easier to use automatic feeding equipment
Cow disposition is better
Less disturbance from boss cows and cows in heat

9. Free stall disadvantages
Manure is usually fluid and therefore harder to handle
Some cows will not use the stalls and must be trained to enter them
Some systems require more daily labor for manure handling

10. Free stalls

11. Milking

12. Milking parlors
Place where the cows go to get milked and used for other purposes.
many different types but talking about:
Herringbone
Side opening
Rotary or carousel

13. Milking parlor advantages
They reduce the labor and stooping needed to milk the cows.
A lower vacuum is needed than in pipeline milkers in stall barns
Less stainless steel pipe is needed as compared to pipeline milkers in stall barns
They can handle herd expansion easily
Total cost of the system may be less because free stall housing is usually cheaper to build than stall barns
They require less milk handling than pail or suspension milkers

14. Milking parlor disadvantages
High investment cost necessary to build the milking parlor. However, total cost of the system may be less than stall barns
When grain is fed in the milking parlor, high producing cows many not have enough time to eat their ration of grain while being milked.
Less individual attention can be given to each cow in the heard.

15. Herringbone/ parallel
Example: Larson Acres
Cows enter AND leave in groups
Most common

16. Side Opening Single return lane Cows released individually
4 to 8 stalls per side
Not easily able to change

17. Rotary or Carousel parlor
Ex. Fair Oaks
Better for larger herds
Face in parlor
Special care doesn’t happen