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Loose content is most often used in large farms(with a livestock of 400 cows). It involves rearing cattle in non-fixed stalls and a milking area. Animals can move freely both indoors and on walking areas. This option, in terms of creating ideal conditions for natural life and milk production in industrial scale is optimal. Much also depends on the climatic conditions of a particular region - in warm areas it is desirable to equip transforming premises (they open walls), and feed them on the run. In the north, cattle are kept in permanent structures and are regularly walked, taking into account weather factors.

The specifics of free-range keeping of cattle

The loose method of keeping cows has its advantages and disadvantages, which we would like to talk about separately.

The loose method of keeping cattle is considered appropriate for large farms where the herd size exceeds 400 heads.

Positive sides:

1. High performance indicators- there are about 40 heads per employee, the cost of producing a liter of milk is from 1.1 to 2.9 people per working hour. This is possible due to maximum automation and mechanization of work processes.
2. No need for internal grazing(Movement indoors for animals is quite enough). This excludes additional costs for the wages of shepherds and the arrangement of walking areas.

Loose housing of cows is the optimal industrial method used by large farms.

Disadvantages of the technique:

1. Lack of qualified personnel who are able to work with modern computerized programs.
2. The need for a clear organization of veterinary and zootechnical services.
3. Increase in feed consumption (no more than 7%).

When cows are transferred to this method

The transfer of cows from tie-down to loose housing is capable of:

1. Increase the level of physiological comfort of the animal.
2. To create conditions for its complete balanced nutrition and development.
3. Minimize stress in the herd, divide the animals into physiological groups and strictly follow the recommendations of the veterinarian for each.
4. Start using special tables instead of regular feeders (so the distribution of feed will be faster).

With loose keeping of animals, they must be dehorned. In the future, calves are horned at the age of 10 days.

Features of the barn: standards and construction plan

The main condition for the successful keeping of cows in a loose way is the availability of constant access to feed. Haylage, straw and other products are usually stored on the paddocks. The floor in the barnyard can be made slatted or covered with bedding (the bedding is changed 1-2 times a year, and covered daily).

Milking

On the farm, it will be necessary to equip a milking parlor or a site specially equipped for this purpose. There is also equipment for primary processing and transportation of milk. The number of places is calculated taking into account the size of the herd. For example, but 100-200 heads, only 10 milking places are enough. We recommend paying attention to automatic lines which greatly speed up the process. It is also possible to set specific milking regimes for different groups of animals in the herd. You can read about the diet for dairy cows at.

Milking room in the barn.

division of the herd

To optimize production processes, the herd is divided into physiological workshops and groups - these are pregnant dry cows, deep-calving animals, new-bodies and individuals with high productivity, low-productive cattle. Deep-boned cows after being transferred to the hotel shop are kept on a leash, tethered keeping is also practiced for dry groups. For each category in the barnyard there is a separate section with a fodder area.

It is desirable to fill loose rooms with those animals that are accustomed to this type of content from birth.

Also, animals can be divided into groups based on the expected date of calving. In this case, you will transfer animals from one room to another in groups, which is quite convenient. Please note that there should be three sections in the calving area - prenatal, generic, postnatal.

Area norms

The norm of the area per animal is on average 4-5 square meters. They may increase for calving cows.

Feeding

Milking and insemination workshops

The insemination and milking workshop is needed to assess the productivity of animals, their alignment and culling. On average, a cow spends up to 3-4 months in this room. Insemination is done artificially or naturally. In practice, artificial insemination is used more often. In the dairy shop, animals are grouped according to productivity indicators - 3-4 groups are usually enough.

Separate workshop for insemination.

Manure removal

The health of animals and the comfort of their conditions of detention depend on the cleanliness of the bedding. It is most convenient to take out the manure in between feeding groups of the herd. For simple and quick cleaning of rooms where animals are kept, floors are recommended to be done at a slight slope. Be sure to carefully monitor the cleanliness of the litter, as the comfort and health of the animals depend on it.

Loose on deep litter

Consider the sanitary standards, veterinary requirements and features of the organization of walking when keeping cows loose.

Sanitary and veterinary requirements

According to current sanitary standards, one adult animal should have 3-5 square meters of area (for young animals under the age of 10 months, 2.5 meters is enough). In regions with harsh climatic conditions, where opportunities for walking livestock are limited, this figure can be increased to 7 square meters. Similar requirements apply to the premises where cows with suckling calves are kept. The floor is made slatted or covered with chopped straw, sawdust, peat, and other bedding materials.

If the supply of bedding materials is insufficient, it is recommended to keep animals in individual boxes.

Organization of young animals walking, feeding front in winter and summer

When arranging a walking yard, it leaves 16 square meters for each adult animal and about 10 for a calf. The areas of the walking yard adjacent to the places of storage of roughage are covered with a hard surface. Ground silage piles are laid directly on the walking areas, taking into account the fact that the feeding front is approximately 0.3 m per head. Sheds are needed for straw and hay.

The feeding front for gaining access to roughage is up to 0.4 m per animal. To avoid loss of products due to their scattering, contamination of storage areas, lattice feeders are needed. For the organization of a watering place, group automatic drinkers are indispensable. Monitor the cleanliness and serviceability of waste cuvettes on walking areas. Accumulations of liquid fractions of manure, water are unacceptable here. In winter, the site should not be covered with people, as this is fraught with injury to the cows.

Mechanized barn cleaning.

Sites are cleaned using special mechanical equipment. It should be done regularly, as dirt reduces the desire of animals to move.

Veterinary and zootechnical processes of maintenance

For herds that are kept without a leash, a well-functioning system for monitoring productivity and physiological processes in the animal body is required. Based on available data, it will be necessary to regroup the herd from time to time. Mandatory control is carried out during periods of milking after calving, hunting, launching. With free keeping, it is necessary to take into account the indicators of the movement of livestock in the herd, fix the dates of calving and mating, and monitor the dynamics of the productivity of milking females. Control milkings are carried out every 10 days, always with the use of measuring cylinders. In cases where it is not possible to equip milking installations with measuring devices, a measuring bucket is used. Milk fat content is also monitored.

Scheduled udder inspections, vaccination, hoof trimming and other necessary procedures are carried out strictly after milking. For these purposes, special holders are installed at the exit from the hall - they allow you to fix animals and carry out the necessary manipulations.

Read about how to properly build a deep barn for cows.

Video: a typical design of a barn with diagrams and drawings for loose housing

This video shows a room suitable for loose cows.

conclusions

1. Loose housing is an ideal option for raising cattle in large farms. Animals are not fixed in stalls.
2. Important features of the loose housing of cows are the need for a clear organization of veterinary, zootechnical services, as well as increased feed consumption.
3. The minimum area per adult animal should be 3-5 square meters according to the drawing (diagram) and standard (technology), if you live in a cold region, then 7 meters (this is due to the fact that cows will walk less often).
4. Both in the walking area and in the main premises it should be clean both in winter and in summer. If bedding needs to be used sparingly, place cattle in individual boxes, do not forget about manure removal.
5. The herd in the barn is necessarily divided into typical groups. Please note that small and large animals are not suitable for keeping without a leash.

The project of a barn for 50 heads can be found at.

On farms, several methods of keeping cattle are practiced. The method of keeping is selected not only based on the personal preferences of the farmer, but also on the possibilities of the farm area, livestock, as well as the goals set.

Tethered keeping of cows

When tethered, cows are kept in stalls and on a leash. As a leash, special belts, chains and ropes are used. When kept on a leash, the size of the stall for cattle depends on the type and purpose of the animals. The minimum size of a stall for cows is 1.7 by 1.1 meters; for breeding animals, the dimensions of the stall should be more than 2 m by 1.2 m. The stall for bulls is also made larger: 2.2 by 1.6 m. For bulls and heifers, you can use stalls measuring 1.1 by 1.5 m.

The stall keeping of cows is a rather laborious process, especially when milking in the milking parlour.

Each cow must be untied, taken to the hall, brought back to the stall and tied. Many farmers use milking in stalls with this method of keeping. Flaw this method and that the lack of movement adversely affects animal health.

Typically, tethered stall housing is used in barns designed for 100 or 200 head, with two or four rows of stalls. Stall equipment for tethered content is made of durable metal pipes. Modern modules are equipped with upper adjustable shoulder restraints. This design provides a more comfortable and safe position for cows. Each stall has an autodrinker and a feeder.

In some models of stall equipment, a group leash is provided. The main advantage of the stall content is the convenience of veterinary control.

Loose keeping of cows

Loose keeping of cattle over effective method, which allows you to mechanize many processes, reduce manual labor, but requires more space. This method allows you to keep cows in separate stalls, with an area of ​​​​about 2 square meters, or one livestock pen is organized, in which a group of cows is kept. This method is very similar to keeping cows in a barn, where they are left to their own devices. Loose housing allows cows to move more.

Stall equipment for free-standing housing is produced in the form of sections.

The boxes are separated by metal pipes, and the size of each box or section allows the cow to lie down calmly. In loose housing, milking is usually done in milking parlors where cows are run in groups. Animals similar in terms of milk production and milk flow rate are selected in the group.

Advantages of this method: cheaper construction, mechanization of feeding, easier cleaning. Cons: feed consumption increases by about 17%, as well as bedding costs.

With this method of keeping cows, they need a very deep litter of large sawdust or pressed straw.

Cold keeping cows

Cold keeping of cattle is a modern and more economical way of breeding cattle in rooms without heating. With the cold method, only feeders with drinkers and milking equipment are needed from equipment for cattle. The main condition for the success of this method is good ventilation of the room. In winter, the air must be completely renewed every 15 minutes, and in summer constant circulation is required. fresh air. The volume of air supply should be more than fifteen cubic meters per hour for every hundred kilograms of live weight of cows.

The best way to organize air exchange is natural exhaust. To do this, a long dormer window is made in the ceiling, as well as wide windows in the walls and cornices. Such a system does not depend on electricity, nor does it depend on forced air circulation.

Another feature of this method is the content of cows without a leash and on a deep litter.

Loose housing of cows on a deep litter requires at least eight square meters. area for each animal. Therefore, the room and the corral for livestock should be spacious enough. In winter, the minimum thickness of bedding material should be at least 65 cm. It is recommended to use dried peat or straw. They absorb moisture and odors well. In severe frosts, the height of the litter is increased, and the animals are transferred to enhanced nutrition.

Pasture methods of keeping cows

The productivity of cows directly depends on the method of keeping, proper milking, feeding and sufficient exercise. Features of the maintenance of cattle largely depend on natural conditions. In warm and temperate climates, combined methods of keeping dairy cows have proven themselves well:

• stall-pasture,
• Stall-walking,
• Flow-shop.
• stall-pasture

This method involves keeping the cows all the warm season on the pasture, and the cold months - in the stalls. On grazing cows are provided with good and sufficient movement, an abundance of juicy food and fresh air. Grass, rich in proteins, vitamins and various minerals, has a good effect on the health and performance of animals. With prolonged grazing, the body of the animal is completely restored after the winter.

If the winters are warm and with little snow, then for this method of keeping a small street corral for livestock is equipped. In good weather, animals can spend several hours in it. A big plus of this method is a reduction in labor costs in the summer, a reduction in the cost of bedding material and feed.

In summer, the barn "rests" and dries out, it can be well ventilated, completely disinfected, repaired and updated.

Stall-walking method

This method of keeping cows is used on large farms, with a livestock of 600 heads. It is very popular in limited pasture space in temperate and warm climates. Cows are kept in stalls, and for daily walks and grazing they use a spacious corral for livestock. The corral is equipped with feeders and drinkers, where in the daytime the animals are fed with hay or haylage, mowed grass, silage. Instead of pastures for daily exercise, on cold days they use running corridors or special mechanical walkers.

With this method of keeping cows are milked according to a certain schedule, and one milking cycle is about four hours. The advantages of this method are the compactness of the area used. The downside is the need to comply with the rules of sanitation, otherwise, with a large population, mass epidemics and loss of livestock may begin.

Flow shop method

This method allows you to simplify the control over the reproduction of the herd and veterinary care. Feed is also used more rationally. With the flow-shop method, cows are kept both on a leash and without it, and the animals are divided into workshops:

• Lactic,
• dry,
• Maternity.

From the dairy shop, pregnant cows go to the dry shop 70-60 days before birth, where they receive a balanced diet and the opportunity to rest. Long daily walks are a prerequisite for keeping in the maternity lab. Approximately one week before calving, the animals are transferred to the maternity shop, which consists of three sections:

• Prenatal,
• Generic,
• Postpartum.

The calf is left with its mother for about five days. During this time, the calf is well uddered and feeds on its own colostrum. Then the calves are transferred to a dispensary, and two weeks later they are sent to a calf barn or put up for sale. Cows, after weaning the calf, are inseminated and sent back to the dairy shop.

split for cows

The split is a special and necessary machine for fixing an animal. It is needed for veterinary examination, treatment, hoof cleaning, sometimes milking and insemination. The average size is two meters long, one and a half wide, and about two meters high. Usually the split is stationary, but there are also collapsible models. A split is made of steel, less often - from a bar. Wood splits are more commonly used on private farms, are easier to make yourself, but are less durable.

Making a split with your own hands is simple: you need to weld several pipes of the right size so that you get a rectangular corral. Then several longitudinal pipes are welded in the center for greater strength. One short wall is equipped with a door with a strong bolt. To fix the head, an arc-shaped neck clamp is usually used, which securely and safely fixes the neck. The legs in the split are fixed with ropes, belts or metal clips. It is recommended to provide for the possibility of fixing two additional belts passing under the belly of the cow. This may be needed to support and lift the cow.

In practice, it has been proven that the productivity of keeping cows largely depends on the way they are kept. This is one of the reasons why more and more private households are choosing to switch from tethered to untethered.

Features, pros and cons of content methods

One cannot but agree with breeders and experienced breeders that only the method of keeping cattle does not lead to an increase in productivity, since additional factors must be present along with it, which include the purpose for which cows and bulls are bred, the level of forage base, the area for livestock and features of the space.

Free

The free method of keeping is also called loose, it assumes that the animal can walk around the stall, and in the daytime it is walking in the pasture. In this case, the cow has maximum physical activity, it is possible to consume more juicy, green grass in the warm season.

Large feeders are placed on the pastures, the animals are milked in a specially designated hall. This can contain not only dairy breeds, but also meat.

The size of the pasture for each individual is about 10 m2; indoors, the floor covering must be hard.

Features of box keeping largely depend on the climatic features of the region where cows are raised. Where the air temperature drops sharply with the onset of winter, stationary barns are built, heated, and animals are walked every day. If we take into account special conditions content, then the loose method may involve boxing or the use of bedding.

If a three-layer litter is laid, then the design of the corral for cows has three sections:

• pasture or area for walking;
• hall with milking machines;
• department for sleeping animals.

The room where the cows rest is prepared with special care. Straw is laid on the floor with a layer of at least 30 cm, sometimes sawdust is used. This is the sleeping place of the animal, providing the necessary warmth. When the cow lies down, the temperature of the flooring reaches 28 degrees, and he himself remains clean for a long time.

With boxing, instead of the intended bedding, special compartments with three walls are organized. Partitions made of wood are installed on the sides. A partition to restrict the animal is organized in front. The area of ​​the box depends on the mass and dimensions of the cow.

The floor can be covered with a thin layer of sawdust, straw, less often with a special rubber mat. On the back side there is a free passage for release from manure.

The length of each box is calculated in such a way that the manure remains outside the bedding, so the bed remains clean. When breeding dairy breeds in this way, it is possible to reduce the cost of straw by three times. Feeding is carried out right in the sleeping place, if the container is additionally equipped with a conveyor for distributing feed.

In this case, there must be uniformity in the herd, so the animals are grouped based on their age, reproduction, behavior. Cows walk in groups.

The method has a number of significant advantages:

• can be mechanized to the maximum farming, respectively, to reduce the cost of wages of workers;
• taking care of cows becomes easier and takes less time;
• it is possible to maintain the maximum level of activity of cows, which helps to improve not only the immune system, but also the health of the animal as a whole;
• increase their milk production.

However, this method has several drawbacks:

• It is not so easy in such conditions to approach a cow to a veterinarian, just as it is not easy to identify a sick animal in the general herd mass;
• organizing individual meals for several individuals will not work.

It should be noted that in our country there are not so many specialists who would have experience in transferring cows to loose housing. The popularity of the method is growing very slowly, because practical experience is critically lacking. If you do not take into account the key points of such keeping of animals, this leads to a violation of sanitary and hygienic standards, and, accordingly, the fall of livestock from diseases.

Tethered

Its main essence lies in the presence of a chain for tying in the stall, which helps to fix the animal in the required position while the process of feeding or milking is in progress.

There are several varieties of the considered method. In the first case, the animal is tied all year round, in the second, the tethered method is combined with animal walking, and in the third, animals are allowed to go out to pastures in the summer.

If we talk specifically about dairy breeds of cattle, then the tethered method is considered optimal, especially when the livestock has more than 150 individuals. Each cow is in a separate stall, its length is slightly larger than the dimensions of the animal. A feeder and drinker is installed at the head. In this case, tying a cow is not difficult.

Stalling equipment is installed at the rear, it helps to quickly dispose of feces.

As the best remedy for fixation, a metal chain for a leash acts, the length of which does not prevent access to food and water, but limits the movement of the animal, therefore the risk of injury is minimal.

Milking is done on site, but the equipment is portable. When using this method of keeping, it is possible to create an individual diet for each animal individually, taking into account not only the general condition of the cow, but also its productivity.

Like the previously discussed method, this one has its own advantages and disadvantages. Among the advantages are:

• the possibility of organizing individual care for a cow, as a result, each animal in the herd can achieve the maximum result;
• care for the animal and inspect veterinarian easier;
• cows from different age groups, differing in character, can be kept in the same room;
• it doesn't take that much space to raise cattle.

The only drawback of the tethered method is the inability to automate the farm, so there is a need to hire a large number of employees.

Milking technologies

The milking technique will depend on how the cows are kept. If the animal is tied, then portable equipment is used; when free, the cows are driven into a special room where stationary installations are already located.

The stall option allows one milkmaid to serve up to 50 cows.

The devices are equipped with buckets, which is very labor-intensive. The method can be justified only by the fact that it is easier to identify the productivity of each individual individually, but this increases the likelihood of dirt getting into the drink.

The use of a milking parlor helps not only to save energy, but also time, since the process is fully automated. Milk is removed from the udder as much as possible. If compared with the performance of a simple milkmaid from the first option, then the installation can serve 100 individuals over the same period of time. Farmers who care about cleanliness additionally install sinks in the milking parlor, which prevents dirt from getting into milk.

The milking parlor is organized by different entrances in such a way that an already milked animal cannot meet an unserved one. Group installations are popular, thanks to which all cows are milked in 3.5 hours. The equipment is selected individually for the farm, taking into account the number of employees, floor space and livestock. The Yolochka and UDA-12-24 units have proven themselves well.

Stall dimensions

Regardless of the chosen method of breeding cattle, cows need to organize optimal conditions for keeping, and, accordingly, calculate the correct size of the stall. If the tethered method is used, then the oblique length of the animal is taken into account in the calculations, that is, the distance from the place where the shoulder blade connects to the shoulder to the beginning of the tail is measured. To the value obtained, you will need to add another 100 mm.

This will be the optimal length of the stall with a tethered method of keeping.

If we talk about traditional dimensions, then this is a 2000 mm stall. Width is an individual parameter, it is set based on the general condition of the cow and its weight. If you take average value, then it is 1.1-1.3 meters. In cows awaiting calving and being 7 months pregnant, the width of the stall increases to 1.5 m.

Currently, dairy complexes and large farms are increasingly introducing loose housing of cows. This method, in comparison with the tethered one, can significantly increase the load of animals on the attendants and increase labor productivity.

It should be noted that the advantages of loose housing of cows are realized only if the farm has a strong forage base.

At loose livestock the motor activity of animals increases, their individual behavioral characteristics are more fully realized, and the reactions to feed consumption are more pronounced. But these advantages are not always adequate to the level of animal productivity, so the feed consumption per unit of milk produced increases by 10-15%.

With loose cows, the homogeneity of the herd in terms of animal development, productivity, suitability for machine milking, behavior, etc. is of great importance.

Depending on the characteristics of the farm and the zone, two main methods of loose keeping of cows are used: on deep litter (with a consumption of about 3 kg of straw per head per day) and in boxes.

For the first time loose housing of cows on a deep litter was used in the experimental farm "Kutuzovka" in the Kharkov region. In this farm, for 15 years of keeping 1000 cows on deep litter, the average annual milk yield per cow increased from 1830 to 4000 kg. Labor costs here for the production of 1 quintal of milk amounted to 1.8 man-hours.

In the experimental farm "Kutuzovka" they feed, milk and organize the rest of the animals, as it were, in separate workshops. This allows you to apply the most advanced technologies to perform all types of work on a dairy farm. technical means and organizational decisions. Cows are milked here in a special milking parlor with the help of herringbone-type units for 72 places, animals are fed on walking and fodder areas with a hard surface, equipped with sheds for storing roughage. Animals rest in sections on a deep litter. Sections are completed with cows, taking into account the period of lactation and pregnancy. Each section for 100 cows has access to a walking area.

With this content, it is possible to normalize the dacha succulent feed, in particular root crops, and partially concentrated in groups of cows kept in one section, taking into account their productivity and physiological state. Some of the concentrates are fed during milking. Distribute succulent feed by mobile means. Straw bedding is stored in bales in the attic. Systematically, the floor in the sections for resting animals is covered with bedding by hand. Remove manure from sections 1-2 times a year with a bulldozer. Manure from walking areas is removed by a bulldozer every 2-3 days and taken to the manure storage.

Loose keeping of cows on deep litter, they are used in the Berezanskoye experimental farm in the Krasnodar Territory and in a number of other farms.

The positive aspects of keeping animals on deep litter are as follows: 1) with a sufficient amount of litter, the animals are clean, their bed is soft and warm; 2) thanks to the removal of manure once a year by a tractor, manual labor is completely eliminated when performing this operation; 3) manure enters the fields High Quality; 4) the need for manure storages is reduced, since they receive manure only from walking areas.

Three tractor drivers are assigned to a farm for 1000-1200 cows, whose duties include distributing feed and cleaning manure from walking areas. Loose housing of cows on deep litter can already be profitable at average milk yields of about 3000 kg per cow in farms with 800-1200 cows.

Loose housing of cows in boxes can differ in the method of manure removal, mechanization of cow milking and distribution of feed, feeding regime, etc.

Currently, two schemes for keeping cattle are practiced in animal husbandry: tethered and loose. The tethered system is now considered obsolete; on the other hand, loose cattle keeping is becoming more widespread.

The loose method of keeping cattle is considered appropriate for large farms where the herd size exceeds 400 heads. However, in the US and EU countries, loose housing is widespread, up to small farms with 10-20 head of cattle. This is one of the prerequisites for obtaining a certificate confirming the environmental friendliness of products.

Technologies for the production of meat and milk different ways the content of cattle differ in many ways. Differences can be traced in all processes without exception: the organization of the work of livestock specialists and veterinarians, animal feeding, manure cleaning. In dairy farms, it will be necessary to reconsider the approach to organizing milking and replace equipment.

In the dairy industry in Russia, the traditional tethered system of keeping is still more common, free keeping is practiced mainly in the meat direction of cattle breeding. Each of the ways of keeping livestock has strengths and weak sides that affect their prevalence in general.

This type of cattle keeping remains the main one in the organization of dairy farms. The share of livestock farms with this type of dairy cows accounts for about 90% of the total. Keeping cows on a leash greatly simplifies the work of livestock specialists and veterinarians, with this approach it is easier to comply with individual feed rationing. Compared to free housing, animals have less contact, hierarchical disputes in the herd occur less frequently. With a decrease in the stress load on commercial animals, stable productivity is maintained.

In beef cattle breeding, calves are kept on a leash during the fattening period. Due to the low mobility of animals, a higher rate of live weight gain is achieved, and the likelihood of injuries during puberty, when the formation of a hierarchy begins in the herd, is also reduced.

Features of tethered cows

• year-round content in the stall;
• stall-walking;
• stall and pasture content.

In each of the options, the basic principle is preserved: for the time of feeding and milking, the cows are driven into stalls equipped with fixed chains and tied. The length of the chain and the method of fastening are designed so that it does not interfere with the attendants, exclude the possibility of injury to animals and does not interfere with feeding.

When organizing tethered housing, the stall length does not exceed 200 cm for the convenience of centralized manure collection. Fecal masses are initially sent to the gutters provided for this, from where the manure is collected in a mechanized way.

Two or four rows of stalls are located along the premises, which ensures the maximum possible use of the usable area of ​​the premises. On large farms, cowsheds are made paired with a common dairy room. In the dairy parlor, milking equipment is prepared, milk is centrally collected and cooled in a tank.

At the time of milking, the cows do not leave the barn; milk lines are installed above the feeders. Individual milking of animals in conditions of industrial breeding is rarely carried out, in case of illness of the animal for the entire period of treatment. Manual or machine milking using portable milking machines is more typical for mini-farms.

Prices for milking machines for cows

Cow milking machine

• opportunity to take into account individual characteristics animals when feeding;
• low mobility of animals and, accordingly, lower feed consumption;
• lowering the level of stress;
• reducing the likelihood of injury in animals;
• simplification of zootechnical and veterinary control.

Disadvantages of tethered dairy cows

The main disadvantage of the tethered housing system is labor intensity, a large number of workers are needed to service the herd. In addition, with the stall keeping of animals, a significant part of the work is done manually, the introduction of automated and mechanized production lines is very difficult. The limited mobility of animals affects their susceptibility to diseases; when kept on a leash, it is statistically higher.

Free content

Initially, this method of keeping was used on meat farms. The introduction of loose housing for dairy herds was hampered for technical reasons: the milking units were too complex to implement. The revision of the approach to dairy cattle breeding became possible only after the advent of improved milking technology and the implementation of the idea of ​​equipping specialized milking parlors.

The main advantages of the method

Animals are kept in a room with a slatted floor without permanent fixation in the stall. For milking, a separate milking parlor is equipped. Cows can move freely within the hall or walking area, fully realizing the physiological need for movement. Cows have a better developed skeleton, which contributes to a more complete disclosure of the productivity potential. Freely kept animals are less likely to get sick. Due to the elimination of some manual operations and the possibility of maximum mechanization production process, the labor intensity of production is reduced by about half. As a result, fewer staff members will be required.

Disadvantages of Free Dairy Herd Management

At the same time, this technology is also not without drawbacks. Group keeping virtually eliminates the possibility of adjusting the diet, taking into account the physiological characteristics of a particular animal. The work of a livestock specialist and a veterinarian is significantly complicated; more high level qualifications and relevant experience. A herd of cows is a self-regulating system with a fairly clear hierarchy. With the free maintenance of animals, conflicts periodically arise between them, stressful situations in the herd inevitably affect the productivity of individual animals and the group as a whole. A greater degree of freedom of movement of livestock is accompanied by a significant consumption of energy and an increase in feed consumption by an average of 10%.

Some of the shortcomings of the system of loose housing for dairy cattle are associated not so much with the approach to breeding animals, but with the lack of qualified personnel. For this reason, at the beginning of the development of technology, the norms for keeping cattle are often not observed. Among the typical violations are untimely or improperly organized manure cleaning, gas contamination and high humidity in barns. This naturally leads to an increase in injuries among animals, the spread of diseases that affect the limbs and a deterioration in productivity.

Features of the organization of loose keeping of cattle

The key feature of the loose housing of cows is the constant free access to basic feed (straw, haylage, etc.). They are stockpiled in storage areas. The floor of the barnyard can be slatted or covered with bedding, which is changed once or twice a year. Bedding material is added daily, avoiding dampness and dirt in the room.

The fundamental difference between the two housing systems is the organization of milking. The farm is equipped with a specialized milking parlor or a platform with permanently installed equipment for group milking. There is also equipment for transportation and primary processing of the received milk. The number of milking places is calculated based on the size of the herd so that the milking of the herd takes no more than 2-2.5 hours. Milking of one animal should not exceed 15 minutes, respectively, for a herd of 100-200 heads, on average, 10 milking places are enough. During milking, cows are given concentrated and succulent feed to develop and reinforce a positive conditioned reflex. In the practice of dairy cattle breeding, group milking installations such as "Carousel", "Europarallel", "Herringbone", "Tandem" and some others are most often used. The choice of a specific model depends on the size of the herd, the prospects for the development of the economy and some other economic factors.

In different groups of animals, it is technically possible to establish a special milking regime that optimally corresponds to the physiological phase of lactation and the productivity of the group. During the period of innovation for cows, especially first-calf heifers, as well as animals with high milk productivity, it is advisable to use the three-time milking mode. For low-productive and being in start-up, double milking is quite justified. In practice, cows are milked twice a day in order to reduce labor costs.

To speed up milking at the entrance to the milking parlour, a pre-milking area is equipped. While all the milking places in the hall are occupied, another group of animals is brought to this site. So that the milked cows do not mix with the waiting group, they are taken to a closed room.

To optimize the production process, a herd of animals is divided into physiological groups or workshops:

• dry cows;
• deep-calf heifers and cows in the maternity ward;
• fresh cows and individuals with high productivity;
• low-producing animals and cows in the run.

Deep-boned cows, after being transferred to the calving shop, are kept on a leash, tethered keeping is often practiced for the dry group. For each of the groups in the barnyard there is a separate section with a walking and fodder area. This subdivision ensures maximum optimization of the production process.

Keeping livestock on deep litter

Video - Loose keeping of cattle

Sanitary and veterinary requirements for the arrangement of farms

For farms with free-range keeping of cattle, standards for the organization of the working space have been developed.

Table 1. Working space organization standards

In regions with a harsh climate, where the possibility of cattle walking is limited, the area of ​​​​the den of an adult cow can be increased to 7 m2. The same standard is used when designing premises for keeping cows with suckling calves. The norm of the den area for fattening animals is 3-4 m2. The floor can be slatted or covered with peat, sawdust, chopped straw or other available bedding material. The daily consumption of litter is 3-4 kg per head of adult cattle, 2.5-3 kg for calves and young animals.

Calf Premix Prices

Premix for calves

In case of insufficient supply of the farm with bedding materials, a more economical keeping of animals in individual boxes is recommended.

Walking organization

Arrangement of the walking yard is made at the rate of 16 m2 for each head of adult animals, for calves and young animals 10 m2 per head is enough.

Ground silage piles are laid directly on the walking areas, taking into account that the feeding front should be about 0.3 m per head. Sheds are built for hay and straw. Feeding front for access to roughage - up to 0.4 m per head. To avoid loss due to contamination and scattering of feed, lattice feeders are equipped in storage areas. Group drinking bowls are installed for watering.

On walking grounds, cleanliness and serviceability of sewage cuvettes are maintained. Accumulation of water and liquid manure is not allowed; in winter it is important to avoid icing of the site. Proper sanitary condition of walking is necessary for the prevention of injuries and diseases of the limbs. Pollution of the walking area reduces the desire of animals to move in the air.

Sites are cleaned by mechanical means. In conditions of small production, mini-tractors with interchangeable attachments are used.

Veterinary and zootechnical processes

• milk after calving;
• the onset of the hunt;
• launch.

With the free content of cattle, it is very important to control and record the movement of livestock in the herd, the dates of mating and calving, the dynamics of the productivity of dairy cows are subject to mandatory fixation. Control milking is done every 10 days. Unlike the usual one, it is produced using measuring cylinders. If the farm does not have the technical ability to equip milking machines with measuring devices, milking is carried out in a measuring bucket. The control determination of the fat content of milk should be carried out monthly.

Routine udder veterinary examinations, vaccinations, hoof trimming and other necessary procedures are carried out after milking. To do this, special devices for keeping animals are equipped at the exit from the milking parlor.

Features of in-line dairy production

The division of the herd into groups (workshops) depending on the physiological state of the animals makes it possible to optimize the mode of keeping.

Dry period

During dry period cows are kept on a leash or without it. During this period, each animal receives individual feeding, corresponding to the period of pregnancy. The diet is compiled taking into account physiologically reasonable norms. The main task during this period is to ensure the normal development of the fetus, preparation for growth and lactation. A cow is kept in a dry shop for about 2 months. This section also contains deep-calving heifers, which are transferred to the dry shop 3 months before the date of calving.

For the convenience of further maintenance, groups of cows are formed according to the estimated date of calving.

calving shop or maternity shop

From the dry shop, 10 days before the expected calving, the animals are transferred to the calving shop. The content in the calving shop is designed for approximately 25 days. At this time, the animals are under enhanced veterinary control to ensure safe calving and prevent possible complications of the postpartum period. After calving, the cows are again accustomed to machine milking. 2 weeks after calving, a freshly calved cow is transferred to the insemination and milking shop.

Calving is carried out in a specially equipped box, where the animal spends about a day before calving and a day after it. Daily calves are transferred to a dispensary and kept separately from adult animals.

In the calving shop, prenatal, generic and postnatal sections are distinguished, which are correlated by area as 4:2:4, respectively.

Milking and insemination shop

This shop is designed to assess the potential productivity of animals, including first-calf heifers, further ranking by productivity and culling of individuals that do not meet breed standards. A cow spends 3-4 months in this shop.

Insemination can be done either naturally during mating or artificially. In practice dairy production artificial insemination is more common.

In this shop there are pregnant cows. Animals are grouped according to productivity, usually 3-4 groups are formed in this way. Each group is contained in separate section. The number of animals in the production shop varies slightly. After the launch, the cows are transferred to the dry shop, and instead of them, the group is replenished with milked animals.

The launch is made a little more than two months before the next calving and takes 4-5 days. After cessation of lactation, cows are checked for early detection of mastitis. Sick animals are isolated for further treatment.

Separate groups of animals kept in the dairy production shop should preferably not be mixed and maintained in the same composition during lactation. The transfer of an animal to another group increases the overall level of stress, as disputes arise in the group between newcomers and permanent residents of the section associated with changes in the hierarchy in the herd. On average, the productivity of a group after the introduction of a new animal into it decreases by 5%. A similar effect is observed when the dominant individual is removed from the group. separate group it is recommended to form from first-calf heifers, especially if before that they were not kept together with animals from the main herd.

Loose-box or combined keeping of cattle

This variation in keeping dairy cattle is considered the most cost-effective and combines the advantages of tethered and loose systems. On the one hand, there is no need to tie animals every time, on the other hand, it is possible individual approach to the organization of feeding and reducing feed consumption. The box content simplifies veterinary control and barn cleaning. The floor space is used as efficiently as possible. Animals are kept apart, the contact time is reduced to a minimum, respectively, the stress load and injuries are naturally reduced. Milking takes place in the milking parlour.

The standard sizes of individual boxes are tied to the size of the animals. The length of the box should be about 10 cm less than the length of the cow's body so that the litter initially falls into the manure gutters. The width of the box type stall does not exceed one meter so that the cow cannot turn around within the box.

Between the boxes install partitions of metal pipes with a diameter of 1.5-2 inches. The height of the partitions must be at least one meter. The floor is covered with asphalt, expanded clay-bitumen or boards. To insulate the floor and prevent injury to animals, special rubber mats are produced, but they have not yet replaced traditional bedding materials. In most households, the floor is covered with sawdust, peat or chopped straw.

The floor level of the boxes is 25-30 cm higher than the general one in the hall. Thanks to this design feature, manure collection is simplified. The recommended height is considered optimal; when resting on a hill, the cow does not lie down in her own excrement. It is not advisable to raise the floor above the recommended one, as the risk of injury to the limbs increases.

In order to save bedding, the boxes can also be equipped with slatted floors. The width of the slats for slatted floors is 80-120 mm. The slats are attached with a step of no more than 40 mm to prevent accidental hoof injuries in cows. For the arrangement of slatted floors, durable materials are chosen that are resistant to disinfectants, non-slippery and do not have sharp corners.

The introduction of combined technology is possible in any typical barn. For its implementation, a relatively small modernization of the stalls will be required.

Preparing for the transition to loose content

Considering the increased need for feed in free-range cows, a sufficient feed base and litter supply are a key condition for the transition to a loose system. The possibility of sufficient provision of a group of highly productive animals with complete feed containing sufficient quantities proteins, vitamins and minerals.

Individual observation of animals in the free content is very difficult, so the staff requires increased attention to the animals during milking. At this time there is an opportunity to examine each cow. Animals with visible signs of disease and injury are immediately isolated for treatment and returned to the herd after recovery.

To avoid injuries in case of possible conflicts between animals, the ends of the horns must be cut off at least 3 cm before being transferred to loose housing. In the future, all calves are dehorned initially, during the first 10 days of life. Disinfection is carried out by chemical, physical or thermal destruction of the horn germ. Since the concept of loose keeping of cattle provides for high degree automation, animal size requirements are becoming more stringent. Too large and small individuals are culled.

Regional features

In the southern regions, cattle are kept year-round in open areas with hard surface and sheds. In areas with a harsh climate, open areas are intensively used in the warm season. In winter, cattle are kept in rooms with free access of animals to walking yards.

According to sanitary requirements, fresh bedding is added daily, preventing it from getting wet. Bedding materials affected by mold fungi and with signs of rot must not be used.

Milking parlors must be washed after each milking and disinfected at least once a month. For disinfection, a caustic alkali solution or ash liquor is used. In the warm season, disinsection of all premises and walking areas is regularly carried out. In summer, all rooms are cleaned, disinfected and repaired.

In the world practice of livestock breeding, the following livestock keeping systems are used:

• cold barn;
• warm barn;
• barn open climate;
• external content.

The choice in favor of one or another system depends on the climatic characteristics of the region, the availability of premises and the required degree of its reconstruction, and the potential of the forage base.