River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1910-03-03
CURTAINS IN DAIRY BARNS
Their Use Assures Pure Dry Air in the
Stable and Keeps the Cows In
Healthy Condition.
CBY r. B. RUSHING.l

II.
Every man who has stable full OF
animals knows what a difficult prob.
lem is the matter of ventilation. He
knows that during the cold winter
months, when the stable is closed
tightly, it is almost impossible to
avoid odors, and that frequently there
Is chill and dampness in the barn
which only disappears when the doors
are opened and the outside air al.
lowed to come in. This air is some.
thing that we must make arrange.
ments to have if we expect to have
healthy animals.
| have found from my years of eX:
perience In the keeping of cows that
about the greatest problem to meet
is the proper ventilation without hav.
ing the wind blow directly on the ami.
mails and the keeping of dampness out
of the barn.
Three years ago l decided that the
curtain would answer the same pur.
pose in the dairy barn that it would
In the henhouse. So following that de.
cision l began the use of the muslin
curtain, and have found the use of the
same quite satisfactory. In fact,
would not give up the use of them
at all.
This may be tested by removing
some of the windows and substituting
frames on which the muslin has been
securely tackled
1t should not be supposed, however.
that the muslin shows anything like
free play of air. The thermometer
may show the temperature to be two
or three degrees lower than before the
curtains were installed, bur find that
it invariably feels ten to fifteen de.
grees warmer and the animals appear
quite comfortable and content.
The result of this in my barns is Just
simply the difference between fresh
dry air and damp stale air. A much
more sanitary and healthful condition
must follow.
find the principle to be exactly the
same as that worked out in the poul.
try house, which, when kept as warm
as absolutely tight doors and windows
can make them, frequently are seen
with the inside walls covered with
moisture.
The result under such conditions is
usually sick hens, and also find when
cows are kept under such conditions
that the result is about the same as
with the chickens.
Now, damp cow barns are the best
breeding places for all kinds of dis.
ease, and l think from what expert.
ence l have had that a general adop.
ton of this new system, which in
sures a constant circulation of fresh
dry air, will do much toward solving
the problem of disease among cattle,
and especially among mich cows.
These curtains admit the air, but
not the wind. There are no drafts. as
is the case with open windows and
some form Of ventilators. Standing
a foot or two from the curtains one
can hardly perceive that there is any
entrance of air at all.
AS l said above, it is an easy mat.
ter to test the expediency of the plan.
for it is only necessary to remove
some of the windows and substitute
frames covered with muslin.
Il find it best, however, to have
some glass, for while the muslin adj
mits the light freely, it does not admit
the sun.
For this reason I have enough win
dows to admit plenty of sunlight and
then have my muslin arranged so that
it will admit plenty of air without hav.
ing any drafts.