Igor Nikolaev
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In order for cows to increase their productivity, they need good care. Cowsheds are built for animals, which should provide comfortable conditions. They maintain a certain air temperature, are equipped with lighting, a feeding and watering system, and room cleaning. What are the requirements for the construction and maintenance of cattle?
Cowsheds are built for animals according to certain standards. They are enshrined in special provisions in legislation. The farms are equipped with several halls: a stall, a milking parlor, a birthing parlor, a calf barn, a medical compartment, a utility compartment, and a milk refrigerator.
In the main room, the cows are kept in stalls and separate boxes. Feeding and watering of animals takes place here. They rest in the stalls. The size of the box is prescribed for each breed of cow individually, because the size of the animals is different. On average, the length of the stall should not be less than 190 cm, width - 115 cm. Bulls are larger than cows, so the boxes for them are more spacious: length - 225 cm, width - 160 cm. The feed passage is made 120 cm wide, the dung passage is 165 cm, the cross passage is 120 cm. cm.
For calves, the stall dimensions are smaller: length – 150 cm, width – 120 cm. Calves are kept in such boxes from the age of 15 days to 2 months. Immediately after birth, for 2 weeks they are placed in cages 120*100 cm. Upon reaching 2 months of age, they are transferred to spacious boxes 150*200 cm.
Warm floors are made from boards, concrete, asphalt or gratings. They are covered with rubberized mats, on which a bed of clean sawdust and straw is laid. If the floor is cold, its surface will absorb the heat of the animals. The cows will be uncomfortable and their productivity will drop.
If the barn is built for animals with more than 50 heads, then it is advisable to automate the feeding and watering process. Barn equipment will reduce labor costs. Devices should not interfere with the cow's movement in the stall. The distance from the feeder to the animal’s limbs should be at least 10 cm. Watering bowls are placed at the same level or slightly above the feeder. When equipping a water supply system, the power is calculated based on 20 liters per 1 cow.
A cleaning system must be provided in the barn. If the farm is large, then the process is automated: special cleaning equipment is installed for the barns. For this purpose, a self-floating or delta-scraper system is used. The floor in the stall is at a slight slope. All the liquid flows into pipes, which are also placed at a slight angle. Manure flows through pipes into settling tanks.
The delta scraper system consists of a large scraper, the width of the passage. He moves around the barn and scrapes off all the dirt. Additionally, the stalls are washed under strong water pressure to remove any remaining dirt. In winter, a special bacterial bedding is used. It absorbs slurry and processes manure with the help of bacteria.
For the full development of animals, it is necessary to adjust lighting. Light intensity should not exceed 200 lux. It is recommended to install LED lamps. They are economical and will not blind the eyes of cows. The wiring must be carefully insulated to avoid fire hazards.
There should be no flies or musty ammonia smell in the barn. The permissible amount of ammonia in the air is 0.01%. The indicator is measured by a “weather station for barns” device. Optimal humidity is up to 70%.
The premises are provided with a ventilation system: supply and exhaust or forced. Farmers are inclined to supply and exhaust: it is cheaper. Experts recommend a forced type of ventilation: it can be adjusted.
For a herd of more than 30 cows, an automatic milking system is used. For larger numbers of cattle, milking parlors are equipped. Here it is necessary to provide a compartment for washing animals and for disinfecting the udder.
The stall will always be clean if the floor is made with slots. These are concrete structures that are equipped with pumps to remove slurry. The surface is flat on top, with a gap width of 3.6 cm. This is the optimal size of the gap. The cow's hooves will not get stuck in it. All dirt will drain under the coating. From the crack there is an exit into a manure container. The flooring pattern is triangular, with the top down. This flooring for barns does not require bedding.
If the floor is made of boards or monolithic concrete, then it is necessary to cover it with bedding. It is made from durable and wear-resistant materials: rubber and polyurethane. During production, all sanitary and hygienic standards are observed. The bedding will reduce floor slipping and reduce animal injuries. Along with rubber mats, a polymer-sand floor covering is used. These are mats measuring 340*340*35.cm. They are placed in boxes. This is a good heat insulator. Sawdust is placed on the bedding to make it more comfortable for the animal to rest.
To ensure that adding sawdust and disinfectant mixtures, such as slaked lime, into animal boxes does not take much time and effort, special equipment is used. It is used to scatter material into the stalls. The equipment is mounted on a tractor or a mobile device is used. The dispenser is battery operated. It lasts for 2 hours.
For good productivity, a cow needs not only a balanced diet, but also compliance with the drinking regime. Drinking bowls must be automatic so that animals can drink water themselves. Containers must be constantly washed so that dirt does not accumulate in them and pathogenic bacteria do not develop. The following types of drinking bowls are installed in the barn:
In order for a cow to produce 1 liter of milk, she needs to drink 5 liters of water. In summer, animals require up to 70 liters of water daily. In winter - 50 l.
To keep cattle in stalls, equipment is required. It consists of stall sections, bars, feeding tables and gates. Each animal will have its own fenced area. A grate separates a certain area on the feeding table. The gate is used to prevent cows from leaving the stalls.
All components are made of round pipes so that animals do not get hurt on the sharp corners of the grates. The pipes are treated with an anti-corrosion coating. They are easy to wash and will last a long time. The stalls meet all hygienic requirements. The equipment is offered by Russian companies:
Why are cattle bred? First of all, to make a profit. There are only two ways to make a profit from cattle: selling or processing milk and raising beef cows.
The quantity and quality of milk directly depends on the living conditions of the animals on the farm. For beef cows and bulls, the rate at which they gain weight and build muscle mass also directly depends on the conditions of their keeping, as well as the quantity and quality of feed.
The task of each owner is to equip the barn in such a way as to create the most comfortable conditions for the animals, reduce stress and achieve maximum efficiency. Beginning farmers and others often wonder what kind of stall equipment to buy for cattle?
The choice of stall equipment and its price depends on many factors. Let's try to create an algorithm for choosing stall equipment for a barn.
We decide on the type of livestock keeping: on a leash or without a leash. This determines what size the stall will be. If the cows are tied, then the stall area should be spacious; if the stall is needed only for rest, then it should be narrower. The stalls are constructed from specially prepared metal profiles. The installation of stalls is carried out by companies specializing in this.
It should be either a wooden flooring with a slope, or a bedding made of straw thick enough so that the animal does not catch a cold, or a special mat-mat. You can purchase “Care” bedding mats on our website. Thanks to this accessory for the barn, you can save bedding material, keep the area where animals are kept clean, do not worry about cows catching colds, and the frequency of hoof injuries will decrease several times due to the shock-absorbing properties of the bedding mat.
Providing a barn with drinking bowls that allow cows to drink plenty of water can increase milk yield by 15-20%.
It is important that in winter the water is not very cold and the drinking bowls do not freeze. You can also buy drinking bowls for cows and calves on the website RusskayaFerma.ru.
Animal feeders should be spacious. Manufacturing material - brick or wood. It is important that the cow can easily reach the feed and that there is a cutout for the head. This will allow the animal not to look around, and will also eliminate conflicts with fellow tribesmen.
When purchasing stall equipment, it is important to look not only at the price, but also at the quality and functionality of the conveyor that removes cow waste products. It is very important that it is installed correctly, does not jam and performs main function- collection of manure outside the barn.
In addition to basic equipment for cattle, you should also take care of comfort. By eliminating sources of stress, you take care of your pets and help increase milk production:
All this helps to create comfort for the cows in the stall. You can find out the price of stall equipment on the website in the corresponding section of the catalog -
Now it is on the rise. Entrepreneurs see good profits from breeding animals. The areas of cow rearing are especially actively developing. This cattle can be bred for different areas of business, for example, breeding dairy cows or simply young stock for further sales.
Whatever direction you choose, you need special equipment for cows. Modern farms must meet all sanitary and environmental standards.
Gone are the days when cattle could be kept in old barns. To start raising animals, equip your farm according to all modern requirements.
Choose the option of keeping livestock without tethering. But in this case, buy stalls. They are an integral part of all European farms.
The equipment consists of:
The shape and dimensions of the equipment design provide comfortable conditions for cows: they allow them to move, lie down, and also keep the animal in the necessary hygienic and microclimatic conditions; there is always a dry and clean surface under the udder. Conditions for proper care of animals are provided.
The cost of stalls is calculated individually for the barn.
Rubber mats
Features of the mat or livestock slab:
Check out the company's products: flexible mats, hygienic, easy to clean, made with shock-absorbing rubber:
Calf houses
Placed outdoors, which has a positive effect on the health of young animals:
The house allows the calf to be both outdoors and indoors (length about 2 m). Material: plastic, protects against ultraviolet rays. In addition, the animals are isolated from each other, which prevents the transmission of diseases.
The equipment is intended for securing animals weighing from 600 kg for veterinary procedures:
This equipment is used for keeping cows in a free-stall system. Cleaning takes place from open manure passages, including the ends. The installation has a rope or hydraulic drive. Simple assembly of the device using connecting links allows you to further adjust the length of the chain.
Installation Features:
Using equipment, manure is moved through the entire complex to the manure storage facility.
Depending on the method of keeping, equipment for watering cows can be individual or group.
Separate water supply for each animal. Use drinkers from the French company LA BUVETTE, they are made of cast iron with an enamel coating:
Group drinking bowls
Proper water supply is the key to a healthy animal. A cow drinks about 70 liters per day, a high-milking cow drinks up to 130 liters. During the hot season, water consumption increases up to 10 times, during moderate temperatures – 5-6 times. In cold weather, cows drink very little.
Feed table fence
This equipment comes in 3 types:
Feed mixers
Choose models of this equipment made from high-quality wear-resistant steel. It is also good if there are sensors for measuring weight. The machine is controlled from the tractor cabin.
Characteristics / Model | Rino FX | Rino FX-S | Rino FX-XS |
---|---|---|---|
Volume, m3 | 8 | 8 | 14 |
Height, cm | 247 | 207 | 237 |
Width, cm | 225 | 225 | 215 |
Power consumption, l/s | 60 - 80 | 80 | 90 - 100 |
Dispensing height, cm | 61 | 41 | 61 |
You will need milking equipment for cows if you are breeding livestock for milk. Used in stalls. Performs machine collection and primary processing of milk. Installations are popular in Russia