Ruminant Prodution – LPM 102

Housing principles and housing of

ruminants

Dr. Jay Bikram Shah

B.V.Sc. & A.H. (P.U.)
M.Sc. Animal Nutrition (A.F.U.)
Housing principles
• Housing refers to keeping farm animals or birds
under a structure where they are safe guarded
and comforted from trouble (physical,
psychological or physiological) and the owner can
organized the routine work most efficiently for
optimum return.
• An efficient management of cattle will be
incomplete without a well planned and adequate
housing.
• Improper planning in the arrangement of animal
housing may result in additional labour charges
and that curtail the profit of the owner.
 Location of Dairy Buildings 
Topography and drainage
• A dairy building should be at a higher elevation than the
surrounding ground to offer a good slope for rainfall and
drainage for the wastes of the dairy to avoid stagnation
within. A leveled area requires less site preparation and thus
lesser cost of building. Low lands and depressions and
proximity to places of bad odour should be avoided.
  
Soil type
• Fertile soil should be spared for cultivation. Foundation soils
as far as possible should not be too dehydrated or desiccated.
Such a soil is susceptible to considerable swelling during rainy
season and exhibit numerous cracks and fissures.
 
Exposure to the sun and protection from wind
• A dairy building should be located to a maximum
exposure to the sun in the north and minimum
exposure to the sun in the south and protection
from prevailing strong wind currents whether
hot or cold.
• Buildings should be placed so that direct sunlight
can reach the platforms, gutters and mangers in
the cattle shed.
• As far as possible, the long axis of the dairy
barns should be set in the north-south direction
to have the maximum benefit of the sun.
Accessibility
• Easy accessibility to the buildings is always
desirable. Situation of a cattle shed by the side
of the main road preferably at a distance of
about 100 meters should be aimed at. 
Water supply
Surroundings
Labour
Marketing
Electricity
Facilities, labour, food
Types of Housing  
• The loose housing barn in combination with some type of milking
barn or parlor.
• The conventional dairy barn.
Loose housing system
• It is a system of housing in which animals are kept loose in an open
paddock throughout the day and night except at the time of
milking and treatment.
• In this system, shelter is provided along one side of open paddock
under which animals can rest when it is very hot or cold or during
rains.
• Common feed manger and water tank is provided and
concentrates are fed at the milking time which is done in a
separate milking barn or parlour in which cows are secured at
milking time and are milked.
• The open paddock is enclosed by means of half walls or plain wire
fences of convenient height. 
Advantages
• Cost of construction is cheaper.
• Future expansion is possible.
• The animals will move freely so that it will get sufficient exercise.
• The animal can be kept clean.
• Common feeding and watering arrangement is possible.
• Clean milk production is possible because the animals are milked in a
separate milking barn.
• At least 10-15 percent more stock than standard can be accommodated
for shorter period.

Disadvantages
• It is not suitable for temperate Himalayan region and heavy rainfall areas.
• It requires more floor space.
• There is competition for feed.
• Attention of individual animal is not possible.
• A separate milking barn is needed for milking of animals.
Conventional Dairy Barn
• The conventional dairy barns are comparatively costly
and are now becoming less popular day by day. However,
by this system cattle are more protected from adverse
climatic condition.
• The following barns are generally needed for proper
housing of different classes

Dairy stock in the farm

• Cow houses or sheds
• Calving box
• Isolation box
• Sheds for young stocks
• Bull or bullock sheds
Advantages of tail to tail system
• Less time consumption for management.
• In cleaning and milking the cows, the wide
middle alley is of great advantage.
• Lesser danger of spread of diseases from
animal to animal.
• Cows can always get more fresh air from
outside.
• Any sort of minor disease or any change in the
hind quarters of the animals can be detected
quickly and even automatically.
Advantages of face to face system
• Cows make a better showing for visitors when
heads are together
• The cows feel easier to get into their stalls.
• Sun rays shine in the gutter where they are
needed most.
• Feeding of cows is easier, both rows can be fed
without back tracking.
• It is better for narrow barns.
Disadvantages

• Cost of construction is more.

• Future expansion is difficult.
• Not suitable for hot and humid climatic
conditions.
Floor
• The inside floor of the barn should be of some
impervious material which can be easily kept
clean and dry and is not slippery. Paving with
bricks can also serve ones purpose. Grooved
cement concrete floor is still better.
• The surface of the cowshed should be laid
with a gradient of 1" to 1.14" from manger to
excreta channel. An overall floor space of 65
to 70 sq.ft. Per adult cow should be
satisfactory.
Manger
• Cement concrete continuous manger with
removable partitions is the best from the
point of view of durability and cleanliness.

• A height of 1 '-4" for front manger. Low front

mangers are more comfortable for cattle The
height at the back of the manger should be
kept at 2'-6" to 3". An overall width of 2' to 2
1/2' is sufficient for a good manger.  
Alleys
• The central walk should have a width of 5'-6'
exclusive of gutters when cows face out, and
4'-5' when they face in.
Manure gutter
• The manure gutter should be wide enough to
hold all dung without getting blocked, and be
easy to clean
• The gutter should have a gradient of 1" for
every 10' length and 2" height. This will permit
a free flow of liquid excreta.
Calving Boxes
• It should have an area of about 100 to 150
sq.ft. With ample soft bedding, it should be
provided with sufficient ventilation through
windows and ridge vent.

Isolation Boxes
• Animals suffering from infectious disease must
be segregated soon from the rest of the herd.
Loose boxes of about 150 sq.ft are very
suitable for this purpose.
Sheds for Young Stocks
• An area of 100 square feet per head for a stock
of 10 calves and an increase of 50 square feet
for every additional calf will make a good
paddock.
• 20-25 square feet per calf below the age of 3
months,  
• 25 -30 square feet per calf from the age of 3-6
months,
• 30-40 square feet per calf from the age of 6-12
months and over, and
• 40-45 square feet for every calf above one year,
Bull or Bullock Shed
• A loose box with rough cement concrete floor
about 15' by 10' in dimensions having an
adequate arrangement of light and ventilation
and an entrance 4' in width and 7' in height
will make a comfortable housing for a bull. The
shed should have a manger and a water
trough and drainage