LIVESTOCK
HOUSING
Management of livestock
cannot be complete without the provision of planned and economical housing
facilities for them. III-planned and improper housing may result in additional
labour charges, curtailing thus the profit of the owner. Comfortable
accommodation, durability and arrangements for the production of hygienic and
wholesome milk, etc., are the important prerequisites for proper housing of
animals.
LOCATION OF FARM
BUILDINGS
The following
points may help in deciding about the location:
i)
Water
supply: Plenty of clean water should be available at the farm premises for
washing, cleaning and for consumption by humans as well as livestock.
ii)
Topography
and drainage: It should be high and level with no abrupt slopes. The soil
should be porous and the slope gentle. It helps in keeping the buildings well
drained and thus animal health is easily maintained.
iii)
Sun exposure and wind protection: The
location of the building should be such that the maximum exposure in the north
and minimum in the south is obtained. Also, protection from strong prevailing
winds, whether hot or cold, is desired. To have maximum benefit of the
sunlight, the long axis of the farm building should be set in the north-south
direction.
iv)
Accessibility: The farm buildings should
be located about 100 meters away from the main road keeping in view the
possibility of easy accessibility of the farm.
v)
Marketing
facilities: The farm should possibly be located in an area where the producer
can sell his products profitably and regularly. Road links with surrounding
markets or consumption centres are highly desirable.
vi)
Durability: Although the construction of
elaborate and expensive buildings for animals should be avoided yet the
durability of farm structures is always desired.
The availability of
service facilities, electricity, etc., are day by day, assuming great
importance. A modern farm should, therefore, have access to a power line.
HOUSING OF DAIRY
ANIMALS
The general lay-out of dairy farms
should be planned depending on the number of animals to be housed, facilities
to be provided for feeding the animals economically, collection of manure and cleaning
and washing. The principles of animal management, general hygiene and
sanitation and disinfection should be kept in view.
Dairy animals may be
housed under a wide variety of conditions, ranging from close confinement to
very little restrictions except at milking time. Two types of dairy houses are
presently in general use.
i)
The
conventional dairy houses
ii)
The
loose housing system in combination with some sort of milking shed/parlour
The conventional dairy
shed may be constructed in a single row if the number of animals is 16 or less,
or in two rows if the number is more, with the heads of animals facing outside,
the so-called tail-to-tail arrangement, so that the manure can be removed from
the common central gangway.
The soil underneath should be dry and
compact and not hard clayey, damp and marshy. Walls made of bricks may be 3.6 m
high and damp-proof. The interior walls of a dairy barn should be up to a
height of 1.5 m. Smooth surfaces harbour no disease germs and vermin and can be
easily cleaned and washed with hose-pipe. The windows should be large enough to
allow sufficient light from outside. If roof is supported by pillars then the
height of wall may be 2.4m. The roof must be of superior type as it proves
durable and cheap in the long run. The floor should be impervious to water and
free from dampness, non-slippery, reasonably above the outside ground, and
having a slope of 2.5 cm in 1.5 m length from front to back to wards the rear
channel. It should be easy to clean and wash and should get dry quickly.
The ideal inside width
of a single-row dairy shed is 6.5m, allowing 1.5m for feeding passage 0.75m
width for manager, 2.2m for length of the stall, 0.3m for rear channel and
1.75m width for the manure-cum-milking passage. Single dairy stalls should be
at least 1.5m wide. A single-row dairy shed having the above given dimensions
allows adequate air space per buffalo/cow.
The ideal inside width
of a double−row dairy shed in 12.0m, leaving 2.5m
wide central manure-cum-milking passage; the dimension of the feeding passage,
manger, standing space and rear channel are about the same as for a single-row
shed. Stall divisions may be of tubular iron suitably bent and well-sunk to
give a good hold in the floor concrete.
The
manger should be 0.75m wide and the height at throat should be 70-75cm. This
should be made of reinforced cement−concrete,
smoothened all over, with all corners well rounded off to allow easy cleansing
and disinfection and to protect animals from bruising their briskets and knees.
In the centre of the stall a sunk-in safety-type strong iron ring may be
provided for tying the animals.
The rear channel or drain should be
about 0.3m wide; it should be 5.0cm deep toward sides and not more than 7.5cm
in the middle with all edges rounded off. The drain should slope 2.5cm in 1.5m
towards either side from its centre.
The buffaloes/cows should generally be
turned out into the yard to drink water from a cement-lined (pucca) water
trough about 3.5m long, 0.6m wide and 0.6m high. All angles and corners of
trough should be well rounded off. The water trough should have about 3.0m wide
paved and non-slippery space for the animals to stand around. It should slope
to one side, ending in a hole to allow easy draining and cleaning. The tap for
the inlet of water should be of safety-type with no projections. Water should
be drained off and the trough cleaned and disinfected periodically.
If a stream or pond is not available
nearby, the provision of a wallowing tank with a separate, pucca, and
non-slippery washing floor, will also be necessary for buffaloes particularly
during summer.
To maintain the inside air of a dairy
house as near the purity level of atmospheric air as practicable; suitable
ventilators should also be provided.
Abundant sunlight is an absolute
necessity for the health of livestock. Apart from possessing health and
growth-promoting properties, direct sunlight has also a germicidal action by
virtue of its ultra-violet rays. The efficiency of sunlight in destroying
bacteria is proportional to its directness and intensity.
The doors of a single
row shed should be 1.75m wide and 2.2m high with door-sills either very low or
absent altogether. The width of doors of a double-row shed may not be less than
2.5m.
LOOSE HOUSING
SYSTEM
Loose housing may be defined as a system
where animals are kept loose except at the time of milking. It is an economical
system. Some features of this system are given below:
i)
Cost
of construction is significantly lower than for conventional type.
ii)
It
is possible to make further expansion without much alterations.
iii)
Animals
get optimum exercise which is important for better health and production.
iv)
Detection
of animals in heat is facilitated.
THE STANCHION
STALL
It is one of the
standard dairy cow stalls. It is equipped with a stanchion for fastening a cow
in place. A partition in the form of tubular iron with suitable bent is
provided between the stalls to keep the cows in place and to protect their
udders and teats from being stepped on by other cows. The stanchion should be
so constructed and arranged as to allow the cow the greatest possible freedom
and to permit the animal to move its head from side to side. However, the cow
is said to have more freedom in a ‘TIE STALL’ than in the stanchion. Although both
of these stalls are so far not in vogue in this country, yet a
diagrammatic
sketch (Figure ___) of a stanchion stall has been provided in his section to
give the students some idea of these stalls.
OTHER COMPONENTS
OF HOUSING FOR DAIRY ANIMALS
All dairy farms should
have provision for separate calving sheds, calf pens, bull pens/sheds, exercise
yards/paddocks, isolation/segregation boxes, grain and fodder stores, farm
machinery and equipment stores, milk recording and selling room, Farm
Managers’/Supervisors’ office, etc.
CALF PENS
Till weaning or until calves attain a
body weight of about 90 kg, they should preferably be kept in individual pens.
A maximum space of 1.5 x 1.5m may be allowed per head. In case calves are
housed in small groups, they should be tied up at feeding time and for an hour
afterwards to prevent them from sucking each other’s ears, navels or teats. One
meter high partition (solid or railed) may be constructed between pens. If the
calves are to be kept in groups, the calf pens should be of the type of open
exercising paddocks, directly communicating on one side with the roofed shelter
fitted with feeding manger. The calves should have ready access to clean
drinking water. It is advisable that calves of different age groups, viz.,
three to six months, are housed in separate calf pens as this would allow
better management and care. It is also advisable to provide a special unit for
accommodating sick calves.
Separate bull/sheds/boxes should be
provided for breeding bulls at the farm. The pen should measure 3m x 4m. The
walls may be 1.5m high and about 30cm thick. A 0.5m wide raised manger with
separate feed and water sections should be provided in the bull pen/shed/box.
The flooring and roof should be the same as for other sheds. The pen should
lead to a paddock where the bull can take exercise. Adjoining to the pen should
be a breeding chute where the buffalo/cow may be bred. The bull comes to the
breeding chute through a swinging door provided in the wall between the pen and
the chute. This type of arrangement eliminates the need for a bull attendant
required to bring the bull to the breeding area. To effect economy two bull
pens with a common paddock can be provided. In this case, one bull may be let
loose at one time for exercise.
HOUSING
OTHER ANIMALS GOAT
‘Lean-to’
type shed
The cheapest form of building is the
‘lean -to’ type shed located against the side of an existing building. Such a
shed for a family of two goats should be 1.5m wide and 2.0m long. This length
provides 0.3m for the manger and 1.2m for the goats; the remaining 1.5m space
is sufficient for two milking does with a stub wall between them. The height
nearest the wall should be 2.5m and on the lower side 2.0m giving a slope of
0.5m to the roof, which may be tiled or thatched. An open framed window and a
door should be provided. Arrangements for storing hay or dried feed can be made
overhead.
The plan for housing
goats varies with the climatic conditions. In dry climates with an average
rainfall of 50 to 75 cm, a long shed partially covered on the sides, not
exposed to weather and built on a well-drained ground makes an excellent
shelter.
Shelter for buck
The buck should be housed separately. A
single stall measuring 2.5m x 2.0m with the usual fittings for feed and water
would be suitable for the buck. The bucks should not be housed together,
particularly during the breeding seasons, because they might injure each other.
Loose stalls for
kids and pregnant does
Kids should be provided with separate
loose stalls, away from adult females. The walls and doors of these stalls
should be about 1.3m high. A box barrel or a log is provided for exercise. One
stall measuring 1.8m² can accommodate up to 10 kids. Such loose stalls are also
suitable for goats at the time of kidding. All stalls should be provided with
an enclosure in which the animals can be let loose during the day. The loose
housing system reduces the housing cost and labour.
Exercise paddock
for stall-fed goats
An enclosure measuring 12m x 18m is
adequate for 100 goats. Such an enclosure or exercise paddock should be
well-fenced with strong woven wire (not barbed wire)and may have some shady
trees.
Segregation shed
A small segregation
shed measuring 3.5m x 5.0m may be provided in case the flock size is large.
This shed be built in the farthest corner of the farm divided into two or three
Sheep do best under
natural conditions. Intensive housing is injurious to their health under the
prevalent climatic conditions. It may also be detrimental to the growth and
quality of wool. For breeding purposes it is convenient to pen 40 to 50 ewes
during night in a single enclosure. Enclosures or pens with sufficiently high
walls to prevent interference from wild animals provide satisfactory housing
for sheep. Temporarily, such an enclosure can be made of thorny bushes and
toppings of trees. A pen 15m x 15m is adequate to hold 40 to 50 ewes.
Thatched shed of 5.5m x
3.5m size, however, is required to protect animals from wind, cold and rain.
Exotic sheep being maintained in the country for pure and cross-breeding
purposes need better shelter and housing than native sheep.
HORSE
The chief
considerations in selecting a site for horse stables are: fresh air, good
light, dry foundation, a good water supply, facilities for free drainage,
prevailing winds and the position of surrounding buildings. A subsoil of gravel
or deep sand, offering the best prospect for a firm base, with free drainage
and consequent dryness is considered the best.
The arrangement favoured
in European and North American designs for the housing of horses is not
appropriate under our conditions. It is necessary to site the line of loose
boxes so that the prevailing wind can be used to the utmost extent. The height
of the ceiling should be at least 4m, and according to whether the location is
the northern or southern hemisphere, the side that takes the sun should have a
larger overhang of the roof in order to shade as much of the wall as possible.
Ventilation can be
provided by only taking the walls to 2m in height and using bird proof netting
to the eaves. On windless days, or if the humidity is high, the use of ceiling
fans may be necessary. Sloping roofs are by far the best as their construction
secures air space and light. Walls should be at least 3.70m high to the spring
of the roof, about 30 to 40 cm thick and damp proof. The roof may be made of
such material that helps keep equable temperature in both hot and cold weather,
and is noiseless, non-inflammable and durable. Floors should be laid on a solid
foundation, raised above the outside ground, should be absolutely impervious
but not at all slippery. It should have a bed of cement−concrete
about 15 cm thick, having a slope of 5 cm in 3 m from front to rear.
Each stall should be 2
m wide and 3.5 long. Height from 3.7 to 4m is sufficient to give not less than
33 cu m for each horse. It may be mentioned here that a stable ventilated to
such a degree that the temperature does not differ from the open air, will be
extremely cold in winter. Therefore protection from draught and chill is
necessary. However, the health of animals may still cope up with cold since
horses stand varying temperatures remarkably well. In cold weather, the heat
and condition of the body, if necessary, may be maintained by extra feed,
bedding and clothing.
Stable doors should be
2.5 m high and 1.4 to 2.5 m wide, according to whether the men have to lead
single horses or pairs through them. Door-sills should be very low. Mangers are
made entirely of concrete/iron. They should be large, broad, with a perfectly
smooth surface and all corners well rounded. The height of the manger for a
full−sized
horse should be about 1m from the ground. Hayracks should be at the same level
as the mangers and not above the horse’s head. Electric fittings should be well
out of reach and protected to avoid accidental interference. In addition,
stallion stall, feed store, tack room and breeding paddock are also part of the
horse housing.
CAMEL
Camels, in general, are well adapted to
housing in open. At the most during very chilly nights, they are provided
thatched roofing. In individual cases, some sort of clothing may be provided in
winter. Until a few years ago, valuable animals such as racing camels, were
tethered to a buried object within their camps with front leg hobbled with a
rope. Now portable pens constructed from steel piping are becoming popular.
They are so constructed as to pin together to form small pens or large yards.
Some people do provide permanent stabling for their animals. They are usually
runs of 4x4 meter pens under a gable roof. Height at the ridge is about 4
meters and at eaves 3 meters. Most camps provide at least plywood or date
leaves shade for the summer, often tethering the camels under them. This simple
protection from radiant heat affords significant comfort.
The desert nights and
winds can be very chilly in winter. To protect the animals from wind chill, a
common practice is to surround the camp with a permanent wall, a shade cloth
fence, or bulldoze up a surrounding earth mound behind which the camel can
couch and shelter. In addition, the camels are rugged with a blanket. Also, in
winter during night they sit together in a hooded manner to economise on the
heat loss from their bodies.
EXERCISES
1.
What
is meant by loose housing system for livestock?
2.
Name
the various components of a desirable housing for dairy animals?
3.
Give
floor area in meters, required per animal for housing in an open shed, various
species of farm animals.
4.
What
do you understand by tack room?
5.
How
much floor area is required for a camel pen?
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