A3O-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, January 26,2002
Penn State Cooperative Extension
Capitol Region Dairy Team
ARE YOUR TIESTALLS
‘WORKING’ FOR YOU?
Dan F. McFarland
Extension Agent
Agricultural Engineer, York
Are your cows confined to ties
talls? If so, do they struggle to
rise or recline? Do they spend
more time standing than they
should? Do you lose first lacta
tion cows because they don’t
adapt? Are stall-related injuries,
such as swollen hocks, tramped
teats, and/or bruises, common?
Proper dimensions, stall struc
ture, stall bed, bedding, and man
agement are all essential to suc
cessful stall performance.
Producers that have modified
their tiestalls to improve cow
comfort and access to feed and
water have been pleased with the
results. This article will focus on
the current recommendations of
dimensions and structure of ties
talls for improved cow comfort
and access to feed and water.
The stall design should allow
each cow to rise and recline easily
without contact to the surround
ing structure. There should also
be ample room for her to rest
comfortably. For mature Holstein
cows, the stall bed length (mea
sured cow side of the front curb
to the manure gutter) should be
68-70 inches. This allows ample
body space (brisket to tail) for the
cows to rest comfortably.
Stall length may be reduced
2-6 inches for smaller framed
cows. Preferred stall divider
placement is from 51-54 inches
center to center, or approxi
mately 49 to 52 inches clear, for
most mature Holsteins. Stall
width may be reduced 2-4 inches
for smaller framed cows.
The most popular tiestall de
sign uses a horizontal tie rail at
the front of the stall to anchor the
chain. Usually this rail is 30 to 36
inches from the stall surface and
it extends up to 8 inches forward
from the centerline of the front
curb. This placement may cause
some difficultly for large cows to
rise and recline, but more often
interferes with feed and water ac
cess. Raising the tie rail 8-12
inches (40-46 inches above the
stall bed) can greatly improve ac
cess to the feed table and water
bowl. Modifying existing stalls
typically requires welding or
clamping additional tubing to the
divider.
Note that the tie chain length
must also be increased when the
tie rail is raised. The tie chain
should allow the cows to lunge
forward to rise and recline. Some
producers shorten tie chains to
control cow movement. Short tie
chains can limit the lunging
movement, making it more diffi
cult for the cows to rise, causing
them to struggle or get up front
first. Most producers prefer tie
chains anchored to the horizontal
rail since access is more conven
ient when tethering cows than
those anchored to the curb. Re
quired tie chain length varies
with the placement of the tie rail.
One guideline is that the chain
(including snap) should hang
8-10 inches from the stall bed.
The front curb of a stall should
not restrict the cow’s lunging
Dan F. McFarland
ability. Recommended height is 9
inches from the resting surface. If
a soft mat or rubber-filled mat
tress is used, be sure to allow ad
ditional depth from the top of the
curb to the concrete stall base for
this thickness. The cow side of
the front curb should be beveled
or rounded to reduce the chance
of injury.
The feed table should be 2-4
inches above the resting surface.
This allows for a more natural
“head-down” eating posture. In
some cases, after mattresses are
added to the stall surface, the
eating surface is below the stall
surface, making it difficult for
the cows to eat, often requiring
them to lower themselves to their
front knees.
The stall structure should not
interfere with feed and water ac
cess. Often the tie rail position
and the divider can restrict cows
from reaching all the feed and
limits access to the water bowl.
Typically, raising the tie rail
and/or moving it forward will im
prove access to both feed and
water. In many cases, lowering
the water bowl may allow the
cows to more conveniently reach
into the water bowl. Easier cow
access can also reduce the splash
ing. In cases where structure
modification doesn’t improve
drinking water access, a water
bowl for each stall, mounted for
convenient access, may be re
quired.
Modifying the stall dividers to
improve cow comfort and allow
better access to feed and water
can lead to improved stall accept
ance, longevity, and production.
How do your stalls measure up?
A meeting on designing and
managing tiestall barns is sched
uled from 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Fri
day, Feb. 8 at the Lancaster
Farm and Home Center in Lan
caster. For more information, call
(717) 394-6851.
New Subscribers Are Winners
At NJ. Vegetable Show
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J.
Lancaster Farming has an
nounced that the five winners of
the free one-year subscription
contest from the New Jersey An
nual Vegetable Meeting are all
new subscribers.
National Convention Takes
Center Stage At NJH-FA Meeting
ANDY ANDREWS
Editor
RINGOES, N.J. National
Holstein Convention planning
took center stage in business mat
ters at the annual meeting of the
New Jersey Holstein-Friesian As
sociation (NJH-FA) here last Sat
urday at the Amwell Valley Fire
House.
More than 70 members were
on hand for the banquet meeting.
The association boasts about
200 members statewide, includ
ing about 120 active and 104 jun
iors.
Several other items also took
the limelight at the meeting.
Richard Norz Jr. discussed the
2001 state sale, which included
some nice consignments. Sale
date this year is April 20 at 11
a.m. at the Warren County Fair
grounds.
Last year’s show was con
ducted in August with 150 head
at the Salem County Fair
grounds, with judge Chris Hall.
This year’s show is on Wednes
day, Aug. 21, at the Sussex Coun
ty Fairgrounds. Judge is Gary
Culbertson, Richfield Springs,
N.Y.
Member Ken Roberts adver
tised the annual golf outing,
scheduled June 25 at 8 a.m. at
the Avalon Golf Course south of
Atlantic City, with a cost of $75
per player. Businesses or individ
uals can buy sponsor signs for
$lOO a piece.
Genie Roberts presented a
healthy treasurer’s report. Bill
Teets provided a finance report.
Plans are under way to place a
Dairy Risk
Management
Meetings Scheduled
UNIVERSITY PARK (Centre
Co.) Dairy farmers can learn
methods to control financial risk
caused by volatile milk prices at
training sessions being offered by
Penn State in counties through
out the area.
Ken Bailey and Sarah Roth of
Penn State’s dairy departments
will present the basics of forward
contracting and business strate
gies at the meetings.
Understanding your milk
check, computing your basis, in
corporating risk management
into your business plan, strategy/
market outlook, and the basics of
forward contracting are topics
dairy producers will have a
chance to learn.
Meeting dates and locations by
county are:
•Bradford/Susquehanna, Jan.
28
•Tioga, Jan. 29
•Centre, Feb. 19
•Potter, Feb. 20
•Erie/Mercer/Crawford, Feb.
21
•Southeast region, Feb. 27
Meetings begin at 9:30 a.m.
and will end before 4 p.m.
Dairy producers are encour
aged to bring their 2001 monthly
milk checks, a calculator, and
pen or pencil.
Registration is $lO. Contact
your local extension office for
more details.
Winners of the one-year free
subscriptions are Nelson Hure,
New Egypt, N.J.; Ed Cuneo, Ber
lin, N.J.; Richard Blew, Bridge
ton, N.J.; George Melick, Old
wick, N.J.; and Carl Auwarter,
Tansboro, N.J.
Congratulations everyone!
history of New Jersey breeder
breakthroughs and events in the
national convention Souvenir
booklet. The National Holstein
Convention is scheduled Sunday,
June 23-Thursday, June 27 at the
Taj Mahal Hotel and Casino in
Atlantic City.
Joe Valen, national convention
chairman, noted that the plan
ning committee is scheduled to
meet every month from “now to
the convention,” he said, to iron
out plans and update the state as
sociation on progress. Valen
noted that volunteers are needed
and that many more agri-indus
try representatives, including
boards of ag, “friends and work
ers” can become involved in this
historical event.
Valen noted the importance of
working as a group and repre
senting the state industry at the
tours to show how far-reaching
New Jersey agriculture has be
come. In a letter of August last
year, Valen noted that “while we
strive to improve the genetic abil
ity of Holstein cattle to improve
profit, we recognize that the
strength of our organization, and
indeed the future of the dairy in
dustry, lies in the educational
programs and services that we
provide for our youth. Therefore,
2002 PENNSYLVANIA HOLSTEIN ASSOCIATION
JANUARY 31 11 00 A M SOUTH-CENTRAL SHOW & SALE MEETING
OLD COUNTRY BUFFET, HARRISBURG. PA
FEBRUARY 2
7 30 P M BEAVER/LAWRENCE COUNTY ANNUAL MEETING
HOLIDAY INN, BEAVER FALLS PA
FEBRUARY 8-10 PENNSYLVANIA JUNIOR HOLSTEIN CONVENTION
RAMADA INN. ALTOONA. PA
FEBRUARY 28-MARCH 2 PENNSYLVANIA HOLSTEIN CONVENTION
RAMADA INN & BLAIR COUNTY CONVENTION CENTER.
ALTOONA, PA
PA HOLSTEIN ASSOCIATION 89 r " ANNUAL MEETING
BLAIR COUNTY CONVENTION CENTER ALTOONA, PA
MARCH 1
MARCH 1
7 00 P M PA HOLSTEIN CONVENTION SALE
BLAIR COUNTY CONVENTION CENTER. ALTOONA, PA
700 P M BEDFORD COUNTY ANNUAL MEETING
NORTHERN BEDFORD HIGH SCHOOL, LOYSBURG, PA
MARCH 5
MARCH 7
7 00 P M PERRY COUNTY ANNUAL MEETING
MESSIAH LUTHERN CHURCH
MARCH 15
7 00 P M SNYDER COUNTY ANNUAL MEETING
MIDDLEBURG FIREHALL. MIDDLEBURG, PA
MARCH 15
7 00 P M SOMERSET COUNTY ANNUAL MEETING
BERLIN COMMUNITY BUILDING. BERLIN, PA
MARCH 18
7 00 P M BLAIR COUNTY ANNUAL MEETING
WILLIAMSBURG ELEMANTARY SCHOOL, WILLIAMSBURG
MARCH 29
9 30A M PA HOLSTEIN SPRING SHOW
FARM SHOW BUILDING, HARRISBURG, PA
APRIL 5
7 00 P M SUSQUEHANNA COUNTY HOLSTEIN CLUB SALE
HAROLD HARTT FARM, SUSQUEHANNA, PA
APRIL 12
7 00 P M WESTERN PA SPRING SPECTACULAR SALE
MERCER COUNTY 4-H PARK. MERCER, PA
APRIL 19
7 00 P M SOUTHWEST SENSATION SALE
FAYETTE COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS. UNIONTOWN. PA
JUNE 25-28
NATIONAL HOLSTEIN CONVENTION
TRUMP TAJ MAHAL ATLANTIC CITY, NJ
JULY 27
10 00AM SOUTHWEST CHAMPIONSHIP SHOW
FAYETTE COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS. UNIONTOWN. PA
9 30 A M NORTHWEST CHAMPIONSHIP SHOW
STONEBORO FAIRGROUNDS STONEBORO PA
AUGUST 3
11 30 A M WARREN COUNTY HOLSTEIN SALE
FAIRGROUNDS. PITTSFIELD PA
AUGUST 17
6 00 P M CENTRAL CHAMPIONSHIP SHOW
HUNTINGDON COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS HUNTINGDON PA
AUGUST 17
10 00A M NORTHEAST CHAMPIONSHIP SHOW
ALPION PARK TROY. PA
AUGUST 20
9 OOA M PA HOLSTEIN FALL CHAMPIONSHIP SHOW
FARM SHOW BUILDING, HARRISBURG, PA
SEPTEMBER 24
7 OOP M EASTERN ELITE HOLSTEIN SALE
FARM SHOW BUILDING, HARRISBURG. PA
SEPTEMBER 25
SEPTEMBER 26
8 OOA M EASTERN NATIONAL HOLSTEIN SHOW
FARM SHOW BUILDING, HARISBURC. PA
NOVEMBER 16
11 OOA M NIT! AN\ LION FALL CLASSIC SALE
AC. ARENA. STATE COLLEGE PA
most of our time, effort, and
other resources are directed to
youth programs.”
The national convention is a
“privilege afforded to a given
state organization only about
every 25 years,” he noted in the
letter.
Valen noted that in his speech
last year in Cedar Rapids, at the
national convention, “Our hotel,
the Taj Mahal, is a fantasyland
jewel in the city of jewels,” he
said. “Opportunities available to
visitors in New Jersey are almost
too numerous to mention. Ca
noeing the 1.1 million-acre Pine
lands Nature Preserve, or the sce
nic Delaware Water Gap, or
hiking the trails in our state for
ests will expose you to the natural
beauty of our state.”
For more information, contact
Valen at (609) 896-1237 or (732)
568-0219.
NJH-FA President Richard
Byma noted that “we need to
pitch in and work together” to
make the national convention
successful.
Elected unanimously to serve
individual three-year terms were
Warren Baldwin, north Jersey re
gion; Bernie Beatty, central Jer
sey; and Raymond Hackett Jr.,
south Jersey.
CALENDAR OF EVENTS