The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1913-04-10
PURE AIR FOR cows.
An Imperative Need That Farmers Are
Prone to Overlook.

! What will it do for dairy cows to have
plenty of pure air? asks f. C. Vincent
in the Epitomist. First let us see what
! il will do for them to be deprived of this
much-needed life principle. Go into a
barn where the cattle are all shut up
tight. the only fresh air they have
gained perhaps from few holes in the
side of the barn through which the wind
blows right on to the stock, and see
how stale and dead the air is. The
chances are that these openings are all
closed at night, so that even this means
of securing good air is cut off, especially
If il be cold weather. In the stables you
will find the cows coughing and languid.
When they 90 out of doors they may
fairly reel around from the effects of the
poison they have for hours inhaled. |
have actually seen that done after cows
have been shut up in a poorly ventilated
stable These cows, If tested would in
all probability be found to be affected
with tuberculosis, almost universally.
That is the first result of a close con-
fnement. for tuberculosis is a filth dis
ease, in stock as i"e.nen.
Another effect would be that the man
who owned the stock would have to feed
more hay and grain than he would other
wise; for bad air causes poor assimila-
ton, so that more food would be neces-
sary to maintain life than would be the
case if air were provided in full measure.
" ould surely be the result gained from
good ventilation. Air is life; air is food;
air is health, air is money in the pocket,
because fresh air helps to digest food, so
that we get more out of the feed we give
to our cattle. it tends to keep the cows
IN good health and so lengthens their
ives, and surely enables us to get more
milk, and | make bold TO say better
milk.
Sometimes we do not know just how
o go about it to get the added light and |
resh air our stables need. On our own
arm VIC have faced that problem and 1
his is the way We met il. Our barn |
vas built with basement, the cows |
,eing stabbed below, while the hay was
,ut down through shaft in one end, /
lropping into an alley in front of the I
ow of stanehions. We took out the old
ashioned board slide windows and re-
'laced them with sash, good large ones,
@ that they would let in all the light
ossible. These windows were arranged
o slide with weight and cord. so that
We could open and shut them as we
rished. We watched the wind and shift
q the windows so that the draft would
ot come right on the cows, and yet
would allow the stale air to drift out H
nd the pure air TO come in. BY opening
he right windows we secured a good flow
{ air up the shaft through which the
ay came down most of the time.
While that was good arrangement,
'e were not satisfied with il. We did
OF feel that we had air space enough
lr the cows we had. Often when we
ould come down in the morning and
pen the stable doors, we would find that
ne air was heavy, showing that the
sntilation was not what it should be.
hen we widened the stables. dug down
solid earth and laid cement floor all
rer the stable. The sliding windows
ere replaced by sash that swung on
nce at the bottom. with chain at the
y. 70 that we could lower the top Of
e sash inward. Through the opening
us made. the air came in freely. shoot
z high over the rows Of stock. The
Z space thus provided is ample, as the
ilings are high and the stalls not
owded