The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-11-01
Established 1877
THE OUT-OF-DATE cow STANCHION
THE FASTENINGS FORMERLY USED DO NOT KEEP TFE.
COWS CLEAN NOR ARE THEY COMFORTABLE
By G. A. OCOCK

Tn. need of sanitary stalls in dairy
barns has been especially emphasized
recently by the agitation which has
resulted in pure food laws and a pub
lie sentiment which demands a higher
grade of milk and its products. Pub
lie discussion has attracted attention
t. the unsanitary methods of housing
miIch COWS and dairymen have been
impressed with the need Of providing
fastcuings for their animals, which
will be COMFORTABLE, sanitary and in
expensive.
Many systems have been tried for
fastening COWS to secure sanitary
milk Ties. rigid and swinging stan
chons stalls, and the open shed
system have been resorted to and are
still being used. The method of fast
ening dairy COWS which best meets
the demands of the dairy and pure
foods laws is the stall. The stall
must be sanitary to be a success
Stalls are of many different type, but
to be sanitary they must be con-
structed so that the row will be COM
Portable and at the same time not be
forced to lie down in her own filth.
A prominent authority gives five
things to be accomplished in cow
stall construction. Cd 1t should
keep the cow clean (2) 1t should
make the COW comfortab BILE. (3) Tt
should be convenient for feeding,
milking and cleaning. ca It should
b inexpensive. (5) It should hold
the cow securely.
Since the earliest days Of dairying
some method Of fastening COWS has
been resOrted to. If not tied with
rope or thong attached to the base OF
the horns, a rope or chain was placed
about the neck and fastened to post,
tree or other stationery object to pre-
vent the COW moving about while be-
Ing MIXED,
A familiar tie still in use in q great
many barns is the chain tie herewith
Illustrated. This simple arrangem ent
has many good features. A ring large
enough to pass freely up and down on
five inch post is attached to chain
which is placed about the cows neck
With the proper construction of man
ger platform and gutter this method
Of tying is even more desirable from
q humanitarian standpoint than the
rigid stanchion. Although the chain
te is fast becoming obsolete it has
filled an important place in the de-
VeioDment Of the sanitary stall. The
COWS health should be considered
when choosing a method of fastening
1t is undesirable to place cows II
rigid stanchions since they do no'
have the freedom Of their heads OBJ
taInable in q stall. Compelling a COW
70 lie in a cramped position IS no
conductive to gentle disposition. Sucf
q dispostiOn is found in those 1ndl
EduaIs producing the largest return:
far food consumed. A stall Wh1cf
most nearly approaches perfection ).
one IN which the COW is permitted tt
nave the freedom she has when lyins
IN the field or paddock. Just nov
THESE devices of tOrture-the rlSls
stanchiOn shown herewith-orlginatet
u not generally known, but after year
81 service they have ben dlscardeu
These stanchions hold the neck or tn
especially is this true when the stan
'h}on is too narrow. Such stanchlo'
not only irritates the neck of the Gov
pNf also prevents the free moVemeli
OF the head from side to side. so tha
COW is prevented from throwing he
mead around in resting position upo1
hHT fore leg when stretched out npo1
Ih@ ground. which is common IA ~
WITH this animal. Freedom or move
fhent IS very important to the COW an
every effort should be made to dls
courage the use of the rigid stancn1or
IN order for milk to be sanitary IN
Surroundings of the COWS must
''eanly in every particular, the floor
I7"@cIally. The floors now cOmmoni
I"Hnd are dirt. wood. either = block
P'hg brick. stone, and in some case
C''hrr@fe. Dirt of course is VerV un
""Sifahle since it affords an exceilen
Hdrbor for bacteria. insects and Yer
mn. IN order to maintain sanltar
stable such floors must be eliminated