Dairy Farming

Conventional Shed

Animals in this system are confined together on a platform and secured at the neck by stanchions or neck chains.
They are fed as well as milked in the barn, which has a fully covered roof, windows and ventilators.
The construction of the shed depends on the class of livestock it is meant for and to what use it is to be put. You could have a cow house, calving box, bull shed, isolation box, etc.
Conventional sheds are costly and therefore, becoming less popular.
The sheds can be either of a single row when animals are fewer or in two rows if more animals are being reared.
In double row housing, the arrangement should be such that the cows either face out (tail to tail system) or face in (head to head system).
The breadth of the shed should not exceed 10 metres and the distance between animals should be 1.0 to 1.2 metres, with each animal having an individual space of 1.5 to 2.0 metres.
The central height of the shed must be 3.5 to 4.0 metres, sloping at the edges. Good ventilation and flooring are essential.
The animals are fed as wells as milked in the same barn.
These barns are completely covered with roofs and the sidewalls are closed with windows or ventilator located at suitable places to get more ventilation and lighting.
It is applicable for temperate and heavy rainfall region.
The same type of housing can be utilized for tropical region with slight modification.