Economy of the Round Dairy Barn Part 2

The footing for the foundation is 18 inches wide. A ten-inch brick wall was carried up nine feet above the stable floor. This wall contains a 2-inch air s.p.a.ce to prevent moisture from condensing on the inner wall and making the barn damp. This is an important point, as barns with a solid stone or brick wall are very objectionable on account of dampness.

It has been proven by two years' use that this difficulty is entirely obviated by the air s.p.a.ce in the wall.

The foundation for the manger and feed alley is built up 2 feet above the stable floor. The foundation for the silo extends 4 feet below the stable floor and is continued 9 inches above the floor in the feed alley. This silo wall, together with the foundation under the manger, forms the foundation for the center supports of the barn. Fig. 12 shows the foundation completed.

The silo, which is the Gurler type, was then started and carried up with the barn. It was built by placing 2 4 studs around the circle, one foot on centers, and ceiling inside with 1/2 6-inch lumber. This 1/2-inch lumber was obtained by re-sawing 1 6 yellow pine fencing.

Common lath were then put on horizontally in the regular way inside, without furring out, and plastered with rich cement plaster.

The sill of the barn is 6 6, made up of 1 6s, and built on top of the wall. Building it up in this manner makes a stronger sill than can be obtained in any other way, as it forms a continuous hoop around the barn.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 14. SHOWING HEIGHT AND CONSTRUCTION OF SILO, SIDING COMPLETED, AND FOUR MAIN RAFTERS IN PLACE.]

The joists are 2 12s notched 6 inches to fit the sill, so that the outer ends rest on both the sill and the brick wall. The outer span of joists is 14 feet and the inner ends of these joists rest on a similar sill built of 1 6s on top of the 4 4 supports at the stanchions. The inner span of joists, between the stanchions and the silo, is 8 feet, the outer end resting on the sill over the stanchions, and the inner end on a 1-1/2 6-inch band, made up of three 1/2 6-inch pieces, running around the outside of the silo. These joists are placed 2-1/2 feet apart at the outside of the barn, and half as many joists are used in the inner span, making the joists at the silo one foot apart. The number of joists under the driveways are doubled, being only 1 foot and 3 inches apart at the outside of the barn.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 15. SHOWING ALL RAFTERS IN PLACE AND METHOD OF SHEATHING ROOF.]

The studs, which are 2 6s, 20 feet long, were then placed on the sill, about 2 feet 6 inches apart, being as evenly s.p.a.ced between the windows as possible, and temporarily braced, as shown in Fig. 13, until the 8-inch ship lap ceiling could be nailed on the outside. This was carried up 5 feet to the second scaffold, and then covered to this height with shingles laid 5 inches to the weather. The scaffolding was then moved up and this process repeated until the siding was completed. The plate, made up of five 1 4s, was then built in the notch in the top of the studs shown in Fig. 13.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 16. SHOWING HEIGHT OF SILO, CAPACITY OF BARN, AND CONSTRUCTION OF ROOF.]

The silo was completed, as before described. The rafters, which were framed on the ground, were then erected, as shown in Fig. 14, the first eight going to the center of the roof, and the remaining ones were cut to rest on the plate of the silo. There are 64 framed rafters, and these are the only ones in the upper section of the roof. At the break in the roof, a header is cut in between the framed rafters, and in the lower section a rafter is placed between these, thus making twice as many rafters in the lower section of the roof as in the upper section. After the rafters were all in place and temporarily braced, the 1 2-inch sheathing was put on, as shown in Fig. 15, and the shingles, which were the best 5/2 red cedar, were laid 5 inches to the weather on the lower section of the roof, and 4 inches to the weather on the upper section, as this had less pitch. No chalk line was necessary, as the shingles were laid by the sheathing.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 17. SHOWING ARRANGEMENT OF JOISTS AND HOW THE FLOOR IS LAID.]

The floor was made of 1 8 ship lap, laid in four directions, as shown in Fig. 17. In the driveway an extra layer of ship lap was used, making this portion of the floor 2 inches thick.

The doorways in the second story are 14 feet wide, and in the lower story 12 feet. These openings are closed by two sliding doors, each door being made of two sections, hinged together so as to follow the circular wall of the barn in opening.

The cow stable is on the ground floor, and well lighted by 16 windows having twelve 9 12 lights each. There are also six windows in the doors. The windows are placed just below the ceiling and admit an abundance of sunshine at all times of the day, which is one of the essentials of a good dairy barn.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 18. SHOWING PRESENT ARRANGEMENT OF COW STABLE. THERE ARE STANCHIONS AND MANGERS FOR 28 COWS, AND 2200 SQ. FT. OF FLOOR s.p.a.cE IN WHICH THE COWS CAN RUN LOOSE. THE GATES ARE SWUNG INTO THE PRESENT POSITION WHEN BOX STALLS ARE NEEDED.]

The floor, back of the manger, is of clay, except at the door, where a small portion is covered with cement. The cows run loose except at feeding and milking time, when they are placed in rigid stanchions. It must be distinctly understood that rigid stanchions are strongly condemned as a cow tie, where cows are to remain in them all night, but as they are here used merely to hold the cow during milking, they are both economical and convenient.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 19. SHOWING CROSS SECTION OF 60-FOOT ROUND BARN.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 20. CLEANING OUT COW STABLE WITH THREE-HORSE MANURE SPREADER.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 21. COWS IN STANCHION AT MILKING TIME.]

Running cows loose in this manner is an excellent method, where bedding is abundant and sufficient s.p.a.ce is available, as the cows are more comfortable, and all fertility is saved. There is no waste from leaching, as when the manure lies exposed to the weather. This method saves the labor of cleaning the stable, as the manure is loaded into the spreader and hauled directly upon the land whenever convenient, and the land is in the best condition to receive it.[C]

[C] For a more detailed discussion of the advantages of keeping cows in this manner, see Illinois Agricultural Experiment Station Circular No. 93.

Three gates are hung on posts at the outside wall, and when box stalls are needed, these are swung around to the manger, as shown in Fig. 18.

The south door in the cow stable can be closed by slatted gates, thus affording an abundance of fresh air and sunshine on nice days, without letting the cows out of the barn.

SYSTEM OF VENTILATION

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 21. CONTINUED.]

The system of ventilation is the "King." To economize s.p.a.ce and lumber, the hay chute is used for a ventilator. This chute, which extends to the cupola, is 2-1/4 3-1/2 feet, having a cross section area of 8 sq. ft., which, with a good draft, is sufficient for 40 cows. In order that this combination of ventilator and hay chute prove practical, doors thru which the hay could be thrust were placed at intervals in the side of the chute. These doors are hinged at the top, opening in, and close immediately after the hay drops, thus maintaining a closed ventilator chute. The air is drawn in at the bottom, the amount being regulated by means of a sliding door in the side. As this chute is 50 feet high, it creates a strong suction.

THE MILK ROOM

To economize s.p.a.ce, the milk room, 12 16 feet, is located under the north driveway. The brick walls under the drive form the sides of this room, and the floor of the drive, which is made of 2 6s grooved on both edges, forms the roof. The grooves in the flooring were filled with white lead, and a wooden strip, fitted to fill the grooves of both planks, was driven in, forming a water-tight floor. This floor was covered with hot tar and sand 1/2 inch thick. The milk room is plastered on the inside, the plaster being applied directly to the brick walls, excepting in the case of the ceiling, which is lathed. The floor and cooling tank are of cement. The pa.s.sage from the barn to the milk room is thru a small hallway, which is open to the outside, thus preventing the stable air getting into the milk room.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 22. FEED ALLEY, SHOWING COMBINED HAY CHUTE AND VENTILATOR. A DOOR ON THE SIDE WHICH IS HINGED AT THE BOTTOM, 3 FEET FROM THE FLOOR, IS LET IN TOWARD THE SILO, SLIDING THE HAY ONTO THE FLOOR. IN HOT WEATHER THIS OPENING TAKES THE HEAT OUT OF THE BARN; DURING THE WINTER THIS DOOR IS KEPT CLOSED AND THE VENTILATION IS REGULATED BY RAISING THE SLIDE, AS SHOWN IN THE CUT.]

BARN SATISFACTORY

This round dairy barn above described has been in use for over two years at the University of Illinois, and has given entire satisfaction.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 23. NORTHEAST VIEW, SHOWING DAIRY UNDER DRIVEWAY.

THE BARN IS ON THE SAME SCALE AS THE DRAWING ON PAGE 28.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 24. INTERIOR OF DAIRY; COOLING TANK ON LEFT.]

RE-ARRANGEMENT OF BARN TO ACCOMMODATE 40 COWS

If it is desired to keep cows in stalls in a round barn of this size, the circular manger can be enlarged to 38 feet in diameter, which gives room for forty cows, as shown in Fig. 25, and the silo, to hold sufficient silage to feed the year round, enlarged to 18 feet in diameter. The present mow room is sufficient to store enough hay and bedding for this number of cows.

The barn on the Twenty-acre Demonstration Dairy Farm was built this large, as it was thought it might be desired at some future time to increase the size of the farm and herd, and the barn could easily be changed to accommodate a larger herd by simply enlarging the silo, without rebuilding the barn.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 25. SHOWING HOW THIS 60-FOOT BARN MAY BE ARRANGED TO ACCOMMODATE 40 COWS IN STALLS. TO SUPPLY THIS SIZED HERD AND THE NECESSARY YOUNG STOCK WITH SILAGE FOR EIGHT MONTHS WOULD REQUIRE A 370-TON SILO, OR ONE 18 FEET IN DIAMETER AND 56 FEET DEEP; WITH A SEVEN-FOOT FEED ALLEY AND A 2-1/2-FOOT MANGER, THE CIRCLE AT THE STANCHIONS WOULD BE 38 FEET IN DIAMETER, OR 119-1/3 FEET IN CIRc.u.mFERENCE; ALLOWING 4-1/4 FEET FOR TWO Pa.s.sAGE WAYS, THE STALLS WOULD BE 2 FEET 10-1/2 INCHES WIDE AT THE STANCHION, AND 3 FEET 6 INCHES AT THE DROP.]

ITEMIZED COST OF THIS ROUND BARN

Excavating, foundation, and first story brick wall $904.00

Lumber:

149 pieces, 1 4 16 Y. P.

31 " 1 4 14 Cypress 16 " 1 4 12 "

165 " 1 6 16 Y. P.

17 " 1 6 14 "

226 " 2 4 12 "

20 " 2 4 16 "

6 " 2 4 14 "

15 " 4 4 14 "

120 " 2 12 16 "

23 " 2 12 14 "

100 " 2 6 20 "

144 " 2 6 16 "