Items to check in tie stall bams: ✓ Cows standing and lying. Do certain cows spend long periods of time standing up in the stalls but not eating or drinking? ✓ Rising and reclining. Can cows rise and recline easily in the tie stalls, with minimum interference from tie chains, curbs, tie rails, and side bars? Is the stall resting surface clean dry, and comfortable, conforming to the cow’s body and providing good footing? Do cows show signs of bumps, bruises, or other injuries from using stalls? ✓ Water and feed. Are feed and water within easy reach? Are water bowls clean, do they provide adequate drinking water on demand, and are they easy for the cow to operate? Is the feed eating surface smooth and easily cleaned? Eileen Wheeler, Assistant Professor, Environmental Control Agricultural & Biological Engineering The Pennsylvania State University Thinking of a hoop structure for your market pigs? What designs are people considering in nursery facilities? Swine housing options range from traditional confine ment buildings to simpler hoop structures. New manage ment trends, such as wean-to-finish buildings, are also getting a lot of attention. A hoop structure is a simple naturally-ventilated building with lower construction cost than the traditional mechani cally-ventilated confinement barn. They have a Quonset Swine Housing Update ✓ Air quality and quantity. Is fresh dry air always avail able at the cow’s nose? Does the ventilation system provide for continuous removal of wet humid air and have various rates to account for temperature changes? During hot weather, is there adequate air flow over the cows and fresh outside air to provide relief from hot humid conditions? What items are on your inspection sheet and how often do you evaluate them to assure comfortable productive condi tions for your cows? Your cows may not have the opportunity to “select a dif ferent barn’’ next time they go shopping but they do have the option of producing less milk if your bam isn’t providing for their needs. shape with a tarp cover attached through tubular metal arches to a low wooden sidewall. Pigs are kept on a well bedded dirt floor with access to a concrete slab feed and wa tering area. Manure is handled as a solid. Hoop structures are most beneficial to producers who want to keep up-front, fixed costs low and who desire to enter the market with versatility to match a rapidly chang ing swine industry. Production is less automated, which re quires more specialized husbandry skills. With about 180 to 200 pigs in the hoop structure, it can be more difficult to ob serve individuals. CTurn to Page 37)
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers