Loose keeping of cows in the barn. Organization of the milking process

Cowsheds for loose keeping of dairy cattle on deep litter are built in the form of buildings with free access of animals to walking and fodder yards.

Such barns are divided by light removable partitions into sections for keeping different groups of cows. From each section, the cows must freely go out both to the walking-feed area and to the room for mechanized milking.

When arranging barnyards of this type, it is very important to correctly position the gate, namely so that there are no drafts. In these rooms, the smallest number of poles are installed in order to facilitate mechanized cleaning and removal of manure. The total floor area of the room per animal is 4-5 m 2.

A number of zoohygienic requirements are imposed on the barn for loose housing. For the rest of the animals in the daytime and at night, a room is set aside. Before placing the cattle on the floor, lay straw, crushed reeds or other bedding material with a layer of 25-30 cm.In the future, bedding at the rate of 2-3 kg per head of large cattle scattered daily. Thanks to this bedding, animals have a warm bed. Its temperature rises as a result of self-heating of the lower layers of manure, covered on top with a layer of dry litter.

Group drinkers are also located in this room.

Near the premises, fenced with a hard surface, walking and forage areas are equipped, on which silage is laid on the ground and stacks of hay and straw are placed in such a way that animals have free access to them and that the stacks together with the cowshed serve as good protection from the prevailing winds. In front of the roughage stacks and silage heaps, mobile grates are installed through which the animals eat the food. As the feed is used, the grates are moved. For feeding roughage, the grates can also be stationary, while the feed is moved to the grate with a bulldozer.

On the sites on the south side of the premises, they put a feeder for mineral feed - chalk and salt. Walking and feeding grounds are cleaned of manure with a bulldozer every 7-10 days.

Cows are fed mainly on the walking-fodder area from feeders arranged under a canopy. Only on frosty days, when the air temperature is minus 12-14 °, juicy feed is distributed in barns from wooden feeders located in the back of the boxes. Succulent forage is supplied with distributors RM-5 or PTU-10K, coarse forage - manually. Animals receive concentrates at the milking site during milking. Cowsheds for keeping dairy cattle in boxes are also not insulated premises with free access to walking and feeding grounds.

Partitions in boxes are made of metal pipes or wood (fig. 27). The size of the bed (box) depends on the live weight of the cows. Usually they are 170-190 cm long and 100-120 cm wide. The floor in the boxes is made of boards 18-20 cm higher than in the aisle.

Cows rest in boxes lying for a longer time than in stalls, their skin becomes less dirty, despite the growth of long and thick hair, litter consumption is three times reduced, animals are more mobile and less likely to develop mastitis.

The boxes are always dry and warm, because all the manure gets only into the passage. Manure is removed from the passages with a tractor with attachments (a bulldozer shovel in front, a scraper behind).

As in the premises for keeping cows on deep bedding, in the barn with boxes the animals are also divided into groups and kept in sections, separated by removable partitions. Dry cows and heifers are placed at the end of the yard, at the opposite end from the milking parlor.

When keeping cows loose, it is of great importance to comply with certain veterinary and sanitary requirements on the farm. A herd transferred to loose housing should only consist of healthy animals. A preliminary examination of all animals excludes diseases such as brucellosis, tuberculosis, paratuberculosis, trichomoniasis, vibriosis, etc.

Particular attention is paid to the condition of the udder in cows.

To prevent traumatic damage to cows, especially those who are buttery, they are dehydrated or the sharp end of the horn is cut off.

Pregnant cows are sent to the maternity ward 15 days before calving. In a number of farms, after calving, cows are kept in the maternity ward for 30-35 days. During this time, they are distributed, and those who come into the hunt are inseminated. From the maternity ward, cows are transferred to the first group, even if their milk yield is below 15 kg. This is done in order to reveal the ability of cows to be milked. If after a month the milk yield of cows does not increase, theirs. transferred to the second group. As productivity decreases, cows are transferred to the appropriate group.

In case of loose keeping of a milking herd, rational division of it into groups is of great importance: 1) a high-yielding group mainly of recently calved cows; 2) a low-yielding group of cows close to launch; 3) a group of dry cows; 4) a group of first-calf cows; 5) a sanitary group of cows that are treated on the spot; 6) a group of undernourished, etc. The cows of each group receive different feed, they also have unequal service and use.

Regular monitoring of the health of animals, the quick isolation of patients and the provision of timely veterinary care to them are very important in loose housing. It is also important to correctly and timely identify cows that have come to the hunt for their insemination or mating.

Two months before calving, cows are launched, for which they are transferred to the maternity ward for 7-10 days, since it is impossible to launch correctly in a box with loose housing. After starting, the cows are again kept loose, but in the dry group.

For livestock fed on a stillage or bagasse, lightweight non-insulated premises are built to shelter animals in cold and inclement weather. In these premises, livestock can be kept both on a leash, if feed is distributed to the feeders by moving mechanisms, or without a leash, with free access of animals to feed on walking areas with feeders. Walking yards are arranged at all premises for winter and, especially, for year-round keeping of cattle. On the walking grounds, animals receive the necessary exercise and solar irradiation, which are so necessary to maintain a healthy state.

Walking yards are made of three types: with a hard surface, partly hard and without any cover.

The first type of walking yard is used on farms with loose livestock in order to reduce the farm area, as well as with a high level of groundwater, with clay, loess-like or chernozem soils. The area of a walking yard with a hard surface per head is allocated up to 8 m 2 for dairy and dairy-beef cattle and 7 m 2 for beef cattle.

Walking yards with a partial hard surface do more in terms of area: for one head of adult cattle - 15 m 2, young animals - 10, calves - 5 m 2. A hard surface is arranged in places of the greatest accumulation of livestock: along sheds, feeders, at group drinking bowls, as well as at the exits from the premises to the walking yard.

At places of feeding and drinking animals, the length of the areas with a hard surface is necessary along the entire front of the feeders and drinkers, its width is 2.5-3 m. The hard cover is made for the passage of cows into the milking room and return to the walking yard or barn.

Hard coverings for walking areas are concrete or asphalt. They are durable, non-slip, do not spoil the hooves of animals, are even, and it is good to clean them in a mechanized way.

Without cover, walking yards are made for farms with tethered livestock on sandy or gravel soils, as well as in those cases when they are used only in dry weather, that is, periodically.

From the prevailing winds, walking yards are protected by buildings, sheds, plantings of fast-growing shrubs and trees, fences, warehouses for roughage.

Currently, in animal husbandry, two schemes of keeping cattle are practiced: tethered and loose. The tethered system is considered obsolete today, the loose keeping of cattle, on the contrary, is becoming more widespread.

The loose method of keeping cattle is considered appropriate for large farms, where the number of herds exceeds 400 heads. However, in the US and EU countries, loose content is ubiquitous, up to small farms where 10-20 head of livestock are kept. This is one of mandatory conditions to obtain a certificate confirming the environmental friendliness of products.

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

In the dairy production of Russia, the traditional tethered keeping system is still more widespread; free keeping is practiced mainly in the meat sector of cattle breeding. Each of the ways of keeping livestock has strong and weak sides that affect their prevalence in general.

This type of cattle keeping remains the main one in the organization of dairy farms. Livestock farms with this type of dairy cow keeping account 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 rationing of feed. Compared to free housing, animals have less contact, hierarchical disputes in the herd occur less often. With a decrease in the stress load on commercial animals, stable productivity is maintained.

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

Features of tethered keeping of cows

year-round stall maintenance;
stall-walking;
stall and pasture maintenance.

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

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

There are two or four rows of stalls 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 hall. Milking equipment is prepared in the dairy hall, milk is collected and cooled centrally in the tank.

During milking, the cows do not leave the barn, milk lines are installed above the feeders. Individual milking of animals in industrial breeding conditions is rarely performed, in case of illness of the animal for the entire period of treatment. Hand or machine milking with portable milking machines is more common in mini-farms.

Milking machines prices for cows

Cow milking machine

the ability to take into account the individual characteristics of animals when feeding;
low mobility of animals and, accordingly, less feed consumption;
lowering stress levels;
reducing the likelihood of injury in animals;
simplification of the implementation of zootechnical and veterinary control.

Disadvantages of tethered keeping of dairy cows

The main disadvantage of the tethered keeping system is its 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 carried out manually, the introduction of automated and mechanized production lines very difficult. The limited mobility of animals affects their susceptibility to diseases; when kept on a leash, it is statistically higher.

Loose content

Initially, this method of keeping was used on meat farms. The introduction of loose housing for dairy herds was held back for technical reasons: the milking units were too complex to design. The revision of the approach to dairy farming became possible only after the appearance of improved milking equipment 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 a stall. A separate milking parlor is equipped for milking. 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 fuller disclosure of the productivity potential. Freely kept animals are less likely to get sick. By eliminating some manual operations and allowing maximum mechanization production process, the labor intensity of production is approximately halved. Accordingly, fewer maintenance personnel will be required.

Disadvantages of free keeping of a dairy herd

At the same time, this technology is also not without its drawbacks. Group housing practically excludes the possibility of correcting the diet, taking into account the physiological characteristics of a particular animal. The work of a livestock technician and a veterinarian is significantly complicated; a higher level of qualifications and relevant experience are required to service a free-keeping herd. A herd of cows is a self-regulating system with a fairly clear hierarchy. With the free keeping 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 significant energy consumption and an increase in feed consumption by an average of 10%.

Some disadvantages of the loose-fitting system for dairy cattle are associated not so much with the approach to animal breeding itself, but with the lack of qualified personnel. For this reason, at the beginning of mastering the technology, the standards for keeping cattle are often not observed. Among the typical violations are untimely or improperly organized manure removal, gas pollution and high humidity in the barns. This naturally leads to an increase in injuries among animals, the spread of diseases affecting the limbs and a decrease in productivity.

Features of the organization of loose cattle keeping

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

The fundamental difference between the two housing systems is the organization of milking. A specialized milking parlor or area with permanently installed equipment for group milking is set up on the farm. There is also equipment for transportation and primary processing of the resulting milk. The number of milking places is calculated based on the size of the herd so that 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 sufficient. During milking, cows are given concentrated and juicy feed to develop and consolidate a positive conditioned reflex. In the practice of dairy cattle breeding, installations for group milking 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 expected prospects for the development of the economy and some other economic factors.

V different groups animals, it is technically possible to establish a special milking regimen that is optimal for the physiological phase of lactation and the productivity of the group. During the period of new cows, especially first-calf heifers, as well as animals with high milk productivity, it is advisable to use a three-time milking regimen. For a low-yield one that is in launch, double milking is quite justified. In practice, cows are milked twice a day in order to reduce labor costs.

To speed up milking, a pre-milking area is set up at the entrance to the milking parlor. 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, the herd of animals is divided into physiological groups or workshops:

dry pregnant cows;
deep-bed heifers and cows in the maternity ward;
fresh cows and cows with high productivity;
low-yielding animals and cows at launch.

Deep-boned cows, after being transferred to the calving workshop, are kept on a leash; tethered keeping is often practiced for the dry group. For each of the groups in the stockyard, a separate section with a walking and forage area is allocated. This division ensures maximum optimization of the production process.

Deep bedding for livestock

Video - Loose cattle content

Sanitary and veterinary requirements for the arrangement of farms

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

Table 1. Workspace organization standards

In regions with a harsh climate, where the ability to walk livestock is limited, the area of the den of an adult cow can be increased to 7 m2. The same standard is used in the design of premises for keeping cows with suckling calves. The norm of the area of the den 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

Calf Premix

In case of insufficient supply of the farm with bedding materials, it is recommended to keep the animals in individual boxes more economically.

Organization of walking

The arrangement of the walking yard is carried out at the rate of 16 m2 for each head of adult animals, for calves and young animals 10 m2 is enough per head. Parts of the walking yard adjacent to the building and storage areas for roughage are equipped with a hard surface.

Above ground silage piles are laid directly on the walking grounds, given that the feeding area should be about 0.3 m per head. Sheds are installed for hay and straw. Feeding front for access to roughage - up to 0.4 m per head. To avoid losses due to contamination and spreading of feed, grate feeders are installed in storage areas. For a watering place, group drinking bowls are installed.

On walking areas, they maintain cleanliness, serviceability of waste ditches. Accumulation of water and liquid fraction of manure is not permissible, in winter it is important to avoid icing the site. Due sanitary condition walking is necessary for the prevention of injuries and diseases of the extremities. Pollution of the walking area reduces the desire of animals to move around in the air.

Cleaning of sites is carried out using mechanical means. In conditions of small production, mini-tractors with interchangeable attachments are used.

Veterinary and zootechnical processes

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

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

Routine veterinary examinations of the udder, vaccinations, trimming of hooves and other necessary procedures are carried out after milking. For this purpose, at the exit from the milking parlor, special devices are installed to keep animals.

Features of flow-shop dairy production

The division of the herd into groups (workshops), depending on the physiological state of the animals, allows you to optimize the keeping regime.

Dry period

During the dry period, cows are kept tied or untied. During this period, each animal receives individual feeding corresponding to the gestational age. The diet is compiled taking into account physiologically grounded norms. The main task during this period is to ensure the normal development of the fetus, preparation for growth and lactation. The cow is kept in the dry mill for about 2 months. This section also contains deep-bed heifers, which are transferred to the dry house 3 months before the calving date.

For the convenience of further service, groups of cows are formed according to the expected calving date.

Calving workshop or birthing workshop

Animals are transferred from the dry stand 10 days before the expected calving to the calving department. The keeping in the calving workshop is calculated for about 25 days. At this time, the animals are under increased veterinary control to ensure a safe calving and prevent possible complications of the postpartum period. After calving, the cows are taught again to machine milking... 2 weeks after calving, the fresh cow is transferred to the insemination and milk department.

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 department, prenatal, birth and postnatal sections are distinguished, which are related in area as 4: 2: 4, respectively.

Milking and insemination workshop

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

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

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

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

It is advisable not to mix individual groups of animals kept in the dairy production department and to maintain them in a constant composition during lactation. Transferring an animal to another group increases the overall stress level, as disputes arise in the group between newcomers and permanent residents of the section related to 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. It is recommended to form a separate group from first-calf heifers, especially if they were not previously kept together with animals from the main herd.

Loose-boxed or combined keeping of cattle

This variation of dairy farming is considered to be the most cost-effective and combines the advantages of both tethered and loose systems. On the one hand, there is no need to tie the animals every time, on the other hand, an individual approach to the organization of feeding and a reduction in feed consumption is possible. The box contents simplify the veterinary inspection and cleaning of the barn. The area of the room is used as efficiently as possible. The animals are kept apart, the contact time is reduced to a minimum, respectively, the stress load and injuries naturally decrease. Milking takes place in the milking parlor.

The standard sizes of individual boxes are linked to the size of the animals. The length of the box should be about 10 cm shorter than the cow's body length so that the droppings initially fall into the manure chutes. The width of the box-type stall does not exceed one meter, so that the cow cannot turn around within the box.

Partitions made of metal pipes with a diameter of 1.5-2 inches are installed between the boxes. The height of the partitions must be at least one meter. The floor is covered with asphalt, claydite-bitumen or boards. Special rubber mats are produced for floor insulation and prevention of injuries in animals, 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 level in the hall. Thanks to this design feature, the collection of manure is simplified. The recommended height is considered optimal, when resting on an elevation, the cow does not lie down in its own excrement. Raising the floor above the recommended level is impractical, as the risk of limb injury increases.

In order to save bedding, the boxes can be equipped with slatted floors. The width of the slats for slatted floors is 80-120 mm. Planks are attached in increments 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, are not slippery and do not have sharp corners.

The introduction of combined technology is possible in any typical barn. Its implementation will require a relatively small modernization of the stables.

Preparing for the transition to loose content

Given the increased demand for feed when cows are free to live, the key condition for the transition to a loose system is an adequate feed base and bedding. The possibility of sufficient provision of a group of highly productive animals with complete feeds containing sufficient amounts of proteins, vitamins and mineral salts is also taken into account.

Individual observation of animals in free housing is very difficult, therefore, the staff is required to pay increased attention to animals during milking. At this time, there is an opportunity to inspect each cow. Animals with visible signs of illness 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 down by at least 3 cm before being transferred to loose housing. Subsequently, all calves are dehydrated initially, during the first 10 days of life. Degradation is carried out by chemical, physical or thermal destruction of the horny bud. Since the concept of loose cattle housing provides for a high degree of automation, the requirements for animal size are becoming more stringent. Too large and small individuals are discarded.

Regional features

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

According to sanitary requirements, fresh bedding is added daily, preventing it from getting wet. Bedding materials affected by mold and rot may 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 lye is used. In the warm season, pest control of all rooms and walking areas is regularly carried out. In the summer, all rooms are cleaned, disinfected and repaired.

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

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

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

The way animals are kept in industrial and private farms largely determines their productivity. And based on this, today many farmers are gradually switching from tethered to loose cattle keeping, which has established itself as more productive in the United States and European countries. But in order to draw specific conclusions for yourself, it is worth considering in more detail each of the methods and the advantages that they carry in themselves.

What is strapped and strapped cow housing?

A specific method of keeping is effective and entails a significant increase in livestock productivity only if a number of necessary additional factors contribute to this. These include the purpose of breeding animals, the food supply that is available, the available area and the design features of the premises used.

Anchored content

This type of cow keeping is considered traditional in the domestic open spaces. More than 90% of all farms use it for breeding cattle. Its essence lies in the fact that the cow is fixed in a specially erected stall for the period of milking or feeding with concentrates. Moreover, this type of content can manifest itself in three varieties:

Year-round stall.
Combination of tethered and walking.
Supplementing stall grazing on pastures in the summer.

Tethered keeping of dairy cows is most appropriate for breeding herds, in which the livestock reaches 150-200 individuals. The animals are housed in a stall, which is only slightly longer than their body. At the end of the stall there is a feeder and a drinking bowl. At the beginning, a conveyor is installed that implements the removal of feces. The animal is fixed, as a rule, at the expense of a metal chain, the length of which provides free access to food and water, but excludes injuries between cows.

Milking of livestock is carried out using a portable milking machine. What is useful this method, so this is the fact that you can create an individual diet and conditions for each animal, focusing on its milk productivity and condition.

This method of keeping involves the free movement of animals around the barn and walking areas. This provides them with maximum physical activity. At the same time, feeding with green and succulent fodder is realized through a common feeder, which is located on the pasture. Milking takes place in a dedicated milking parlor. The approximate size of the pasture for livestock in this breeding option is at least 10 square meters. m for each individual. In this case, the entire area is lined with a hard surface.

The specifics of loose-hearted content largely depend on climatic conditions region. In cold areas, stable, stationary barns with a sufficient area are used. At the same time, regular animal walks are mandatory. In warmer climates, cows are kept in special rooms, in which the side walls are opened if necessary. Also, depending on the specific conditions, loose breeding is divided into two subspecies: the use of deep bedding and the box version.

The loose housing of cows on deep bedding involves dividing the barns into three separate sections:

A pasture where animals are walked and fed.
The milking parlor, which houses the milking machines.
Separate section for relaxation.

The preparation of the recreation room is especially carefully chosen. The floor is lined with a thick layer of straw or sawdust. As a result, the cow will sleep on such a bed. The deep, non-replaceable bedding allows the animals to sleep in warmth at all times. The temperature in it during compression can reach 28 degrees. At the same time, the resting place almost always remains clean.

Box maintenance involves placing special boxes, consisting of three walls, in the rest section instead of deep bedding. On the sides, they are represented by thick wooden partitions, and a dividing wall is mounted in front. The area of such a stall is calculated based on the size and weight of the animal. The bottom of the box is lined with a small layer of straw, sawdust or special rubber mats.

Boxes back side go out to the manure passage. At the same time, the length of such a building excludes the ingress of excrement into it, which ensures constant cleanliness in the animal's resting place. The loose housing of dairy cows in the boxes allows to reduce the daily consumption of straw from 3 kg (in the case of deep bedding) to 1 kg. Feeding with succulent food can be carried out in a box. For this, they are supplemented with conveyor feeders.

It should be noted that the uniformity of the herd is an important point in organizing loose housing. Animals are collected into separate groups based on age, behavior, productivity and other factors. Such groups are kept and walk separately from the rest.

Milking technology for tethered and loose housing

It should be noted that, depending on the method of keeping animals used on the farm, the approach to milking livestock also differs. In case of tethered keeping, milk yield is collected directly in the stall or in a specially designated milking room.

Stall option

This approach to milk collection involves the use of portable milking machines, which are equipped with special milk pipelines or buckets. In the first case, the efforts of the milkmaid are spent more rationally, and she can without special labor milk up to 50 heads. The use of buckets is more labor-intensive and in the same period of time one person is able to milk about 30-40 cows.

In general, this method is justified by the fact that it is easier to reveal the productivity potential of each animal. In addition, the permanent housing makes it easier to work with the cow. At the same time, milking at the resting place does not exclude the ingress of particles of manure and dirt into the milk.

In the milking parlor

This technology significantly saves time and assumes a higher degree of automation. For milking the herd, a separate room is allocated, in which a stationary milking machine such as "Carousel", "Tandem" or similar is mounted. At the time of milking, the animal is untied and transferred to a prepared room. The advantage of such devices is that they milk the cow as fully as possible.

Reference. With this approach, the milkmaid is able to serve more than 100 cows at a time. In addition, at the entrance to the hall, you can install a special sink, which will exclude manure from entering the milk.

Loose milking

In this case, milking is also carried out in a separate milking parlor. At the same time, it must be designed so that the milked cow enters the resting section through a separate exit, without meeting individuals that have not yet been milked.

It is necessary to plan the milking process in the hall in such a way that all cattle belonging to one group are milked within a time interval not exceeding 3.5 hours. For this purpose, you can use both group stationary milking machines and individual stalls. Animals in loose housing are not recommended often (more often 3 times) to be transferred from group to group during lactation. Otherwise, the overall performance of the cow can drop dramatically.

The milking machine must be selected taking into account the number of operators working, the size of the herd, the area of the hall. The best option in this regard is the Herringbone unit with group machines without partitions. Also UDA-12-24 devices are often used. In such installations, two operators work at once, but the number of serviced cows also increases depending on the model. UDA-8A is a simpler version of the milking unit, which can be easily used by one operator.

Dimensions of the stall for tied cows

When choosing a tethered method of breeding livestock, it is important to create optimal conditions for this. An important parameter in this regard is the correct size of the stall. Ideally, it is determined based on the oblique body length of the animal. This is the distance from the point where the shoulder joins the shoulder blade to the base of the tail. Then add 10 cm to this value. The result is the length of the stall. This type of machine is called short.

In domestic farms, it is customary to use universal long stalls, the length of which is 190-200 cm. As for the width of the machine, it depends on the weight of the cow and its condition. On average, the distance between the side dividers should be from 1.1 to 1.3 m.For cows that are 7 months pregnant, the width of the pen is increased to 1.5 m.

Characteristically, long stalls provide enough free movement for the animal. But this is also the main disadvantage of this type of structure. A long pen quickly becomes dirty with manure, which means that it requires constant cleaning. Short stalls are practically not contaminated with restraints at the front.

Dividers are most often made of metal pipes. A concrete feeder is installed behind the front partition. To ensure that the animal has access to food even from a lying position, the front divider should not be made higher than 25 cm.

Advantages and disadvantages of the methods

Considering in more detail the parameters of each of the methods of content, it should be noted that each of them assumes both its advantages and disadvantages. The advantages of the tethered option are the following points:

Individual approach to feeding and caring for animals. This allows you to better develop the potential of the cow.
Ease of inspection by a veterinarian and general maintenance of the animal.
Possibility of unhindered joint keeping of cows that differ in behavior, productivity and age. Restriction of movement prevents injury.
Less space required for content.

As for the disadvantages of this method, they should include the need for a large number of employees, huge labor costs on their part. In addition, it is extremely difficult to fully automate such a farm.

When organizing loose content, the following advantages of the method stand out:

The possibility of maximum mechanization of the farm, as a result of which the required staff of working personnel is reduced.
Taking care of animals requires less cost time and effort.
High activity and the most natural vital activity of animals presuppose the development of stable immunity and general health improvement.
High-quality exercise, in turn, significantly increases the milk production of livestock.

The disadvantages of this method include the following points:

Complication of the work of the veterinarian and animal technician. A sick cow is much more difficult to identify in the total mass.
The impossibility of organizing an individual ration for each cow.

In addition, the transition to loose cow keeping is also complicated by the fact that there are no specialists in this field in the domestic open spaces. This method is just beginning to gain popularity in our country. Accordingly, it is accompanied by a shortage practical experience... And non-compliance key points content, in turn, can lead to a violation of general sanitary conditions and the development of diseases.

Conclusion

Each of the listed methods of cattle breeding deserves the right to exist. When choosing the most suitable one, the breeder should focus on the resources that are available. And, nevertheless, if loose housing is efficiently implemented, the milk yield of cows on the farm can be significantly increased.

Today modern technologies conducting Agriculture are becoming more and more popular in various industries. Animal husbandry is no exception, in particular, caring for highly productive breeds of cattle. Loose cow technology is one of the most common steps to optimize livestock production. However, many small and large livestock farms do not always successfully implement such a system. As a result, animals not only receive severe stress, but also lose their productivity. In this article, we will consider in detail the basic principles of the free keeping of cows, as well as determine the features of the organization of the system in modern conditions.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Free Content

Despite the high efficiency and a lot of positive aspects, few resort to free livestock keeping. There are a number of stereotypes among farmers that directly affect the diffusion of technology.
Therefore, before choosing a given cow management system, you need to get acquainted not only with the main difficulties, but also with the main advantages.

Did you know?The method of loose cow keeping was first widely used in the late 60s - early 70s of the twentieth century. on the territory of the USA and the USSR.

The main advantages of loose cattle keeping:

increases the productivity of farm workers;
reduces the cost of caring for animals;
makes it possible to automate all work as much as possible;
cows do not require grazing in large areas;
the system allows you to increase the productivity of animals at times;
animals require a minimum number of personnel for care;
with free movement, livestock receives the necessary physical activity every day;
helps to improve the overall health and immunity of cows.

It has free content and disadvantages, first of all, these include:

free livestock maintenance provides additional spending on automatic livestock care systems;
lack of qualified personnel;
the system excludes individual correction of the diet for each individual animal;
conflicts in the herd between individual individuals are possible;
herd keeping of cows provides for the presence of a highly qualified veterinary service;
with loose-fitting technology, the animal's need for food increases by 7–10%, in contrast to the tethered method of keeping.

Preparing for the transition to loose content

The transition to the free keeping of livestock in the barn is a rather serious process. The house for keeping cows must be equipped with appropriate structures, as well as the necessary technical units that ensure proper care of the animals.

The main stages of preparation for the full transition farms for loose cow keeping:

Training. At this stage, livestock specialists, foremen, machine room operators and other personnel are thoroughly instructed on the basic principles and main features of the system's functioning. If it is envisaged to work with complex computer equipment, personnel undergo appropriate training courses to work with automated systems. It is best if such training is supported by an internship at related enterprises, in which this technique has already been implemented. This is especially important for operators of milking equipment, since the milking process with free housing of livestock has cardinal differences from milking with tethered housing.
Project development. This process is resorted to simultaneously with personnel training. This procedure makes it possible to determine all the subtleties of the reconstruction of the premises for livestock, as well as the necessary technical resources, including the feasibility of innovations.
Reconstruction of the existing areas. Special construction crews make redevelopment, installation automated systems for the care of the cows and the commissioning of the barn with all relevant engineering systems.
Preparation of animals. The process involves careful sorting of livestock by sex, age and uniformity (body size). During this period, the herd is carefully inspected for the presence of infectious ailments (tuberculosis, brucellosis, etc.) and other pathologies, sick individuals are rejected, healthy individuals are dewormed and vaccinated. In addition, in order to avoid injury to each other, each animal must be sure to shorten the horns (by 3 or more cm).

The main recommendations for livestock breeders when transferring a farm to free maintenance:

livestock should be taught from young animals, this will serve as an excellent lesson for older individuals, the oldest should be taught the latter. This will help not only effectively, but also as quickly as possible to accustom animals to new conditions;
animals should be admitted to the new barn gradually, in small groups, numbering up to a dozen individuals;
to avoid undue stress, cows should be provided with twice the amount of bedding and available feed for the first time;
to reduce the trauma of cows, it is imperative to install temporary partitions made of soft rope or boards between the double boxes;
it is best to keep cows of the same age, this will help to avoid aggressive conflicts between individuals, as well as the struggle for a place in the herd;
all equipment must necessarily be run-in; inconsistency in the operation of engineering systems can negatively affect the productivity of livestock.

Important! Individuals that are overly aggressive and break out of the herd regime must be removed from the barn, otherwise this will lead to a complication of the process of care and maintenance of the livestock.

Features of the organization

In order to create a regime of uninterrupted receipt of high-quality livestock products, it is necessary not only to ensure timely feeding of livestock, but also to create favorable conditions for the life of animals.
To this end, at the stage of designing a farm complex, it is imperative to take into account all the sanitary and construction requirements put forward by the modern legislative framework... Otherwise, the expended forces and funds will become an inappropriate waste of resources, which will certainly lead to serious losses.

Area norms

Careful calculation of the required area is one of the main factors in ensuring comfortable conditions for the cows. Overpopulation of the farm negatively affects the life of the herd, as the animals will feel severe discomfort, and this is a direct way to reduce the effectiveness of the final costs.

Therefore, in order to provide livestock with comfortable conditions for staying, it is necessary to provide:

for calves up to 10 months old - 2.5 square meters / individual;
for calves aged 1-2 years - at least 3 square meters / individual;
for adult cattle over 2 years old - at least 5 square meters / individual.

If the arrangement of the farm is planned in a cold northern climate with short and cold summers, or in conditions with limited space for walking livestock, then the minimum area for one adult should be at least 7 square meters.

Important! When calculating the area norms for keeping livestock, it is imperative to take into account the amount of litter used.

The same norm is used in the arrangement of individual boxes for keeping cows with suckling offspring. When arranging boxes for purposeful feeding of livestock, they proceed from the minimum requirements of cows for free space, therefore, for these purposes, it is necessary to provide an area of no more than 3-4 square meters / individual.

Division of the herd

To optimize the performance of the entire farm, the livestock must be categorized. It is no secret that most farms are reluctant to divide the herd, but only this measure contributes to the creation of the most comfortable conditions for obtaining high-quality products.

Division begins in advance, after the birth of the young. This makes it possible to obtain not only a structured herd, but also to facilitate the subsequent care of livestock, including preventive vaccination. But, if the sorting was not carried out on time, the animals are divided into groups immediately before entering the common room.

In this case, the livestock should be divided into the following physiological groups:

low-productivity cows and start-up animals;
fresh and high-yielding cows;
pregnant individuals and deep-bodied heifers;
dry pregnant cows.

Milking and insemination workshops

The milking and insemination workshop is created in the form of a separate room or a temporary compartment for assessing the potential productivity of animals, as well as for careful selection of individuals according to breed characteristics.
In this place, a thorough examination of cows, including first heifers, is carried out for the presence of any pathologies or other physiological characteristics and signs that affect the productivity of the livestock and its genetic potential.

In this place, animals often spend about 4 months of their life, after which substandard individuals are culled, and all the rest are distributed to the places of main content.

Also in the workshop, fertilization is carried out and further monitoring of the state of the fetus in the womb in the first weeks of life. Fertilization can be carried out both naturally and artificially. Most livestock farms use artificial insemination, for this small insemination boxes are created in the workshop.

Maternity workshop

Approximately 10-14 days before calving, the fertilized cows are transferred to the maternity ward. It is an independent structure or a separate structure consisting of prenatal, birth and postnatal boxes, as well as a dispensary for day old calves.

In the prenatal box, a thorough examination of the animals and their fetus is carried out, as well as the preparation of the animals for the upcoming birth. For this, the cows are provided with a reinforced diet and a peaceful environment.
After the appearance of the first contractions, the cow is transferred to the birthing box. In this place she spends about 2 days. The newborn calf is transferred to the dispensary immediately after giving birth, where it is carefully examined by a veterinarian, after which it is transferred with the mother to the postpartum section.

Did you know?Animal husbandry as an agricultural industry originated in the Neolithic period, dating back to the 9th millennium BC.

After about 2 weeks, the mother and her offspring are sent to the milking and insemination workshop, from where they are transferred to a permanent place.

Feeding

The main distinguishing feature of the loose housing of livestock is the access of animals to an unlimited amount of feed. This makes it possible to increase the amount of production and the overall productivity of animals. In this case, the main task of feeding is to obtain maximum milk yield at minimum costs stern.

To do this, cows should create an appropriate diet that includes only high-quality and nutritious feed.

It should be based on dry food and succulent herbs, to improve nutrition, various concentrates (haylage, silage) are introduced into the food of animals, however, the amount of such dressings should not exceed 50% of the total diet. The amount of milk yield also depends on the degree of chopping of the feed.
Large food is digested for a long time by the body of ruminants, which negatively affects the activity of lactation, so the feed must be carefully prepared.

Correctly prepared feed should be of the following dimensions:

cereal grasses - 3-5 cm;
legumes - 3-5 cm;
corn and vegetables - 0.7-1.5 cm.

The feeding of livestock is carried out stationary, on the grounds for walking, here the feed is also stored for short-term storage. If possible, cows are provided automatic system feed, but often the feed is dispensed to the animals manually, in stationary feeders.

This makes it possible to reduce the overall cost of re-equipment of the farm and premises. Feeders are replenished with fresh feed as they are used up, but at least 2 ~ 3 times a day. The amount of feed required is individual for each individual, but its total dry weight per day should correspond to 3-4% of the total weight of the livestock.

Important!After eating, the feeders must be cleaned of old feed, otherwise decomposing residues mixed with fresh feed can lead to severe disorders of the digestive tract in the livestock.

Milking cows

Milking of cows takes place in a specially equipped box, the so-called milk production workshop. All livestock is divided into 3-4 groups according to the productivity of individuals. Thus, it is possible to increase the overall performance.
The introduction of a new individual into a milking group has a detrimental effect on the productivity of cows, therefore it is not recommended to exchange animals between milking groups. But, to improve the efficiency of the farm, the herd is often regrouped, however, this can be done only among one age group of animals.

For each of the groups in the milking shop, temporary housing boxes are created, this helps to achieve uninterrupted production of products. After milking is complete, the animals are transferred to the dry mill, and a new group is launched into the milking mill.

When the next group stops lactation, cows must be checked for development and other ailments. Sick animals are isolated for treatment, healthy ones are transferred to a separate room for rest. In this way, continuous productivity of the herd and an even yield of products are achieved.

Manure removal

Removal of manure in the barn is carried out as it accumulates. The excrement of the livestock is removed using a system of manure canals and a manure receiver. Quite often, such a system consists of automatic units that provide autonomous cleaning of the barn from manure, but in most cases it is removed manually.

To do this, it is transferred to mobile scraper conveyors, which remove feces from the manure receptacle to the outside. They clean the manure removal system with shovels and hand scrapers.
When keeping livestock on a deep litter, manure is removed using tractors or bucket conveyors. To do this, construct floors with a perfectly smooth surface and a slope of no more than 0.5%. The procedure is carried out once a month; for this, the animals are transferred to temporary holding boxes.

Loose cow hygiene on deep bedding

However, before equipping the system on own farm, you must definitely get acquainted with its main subtleties.

Sanitary and veterinary requirements

The main sanitary and veterinary requirement when keeping cows on deep bedding is to install a base that is resistant to animal secretions. For this purpose, the floors in the barn are made of reinforced concrete structures with increased wear resistance.

This makes it possible to accumulate practically any amount of manure in the barn for a long time. The barn space is divided into a free-range zone and a manure channel, but often this distribution is purely arbitrary.

Did you know?Within the territory of European Union loose keeping of livestock on the litter is one of the main conditions for obtaining the certificate "Environmentally friendly products".

Cleansing of the walking area is carried out using scraping tools and garden shovels directly into the manure channel. It accumulates manure in several layers. To do this, each ball of faeces 10-15 cm thick is covered with a bed of straw or hay, which ensures the optimal hygienic condition of the room.
The walking area is cleaned 4–5 times a day, the manure canal is cleaned as needed, 1–2 times a year. For this, automatic conveyors or small tractors with a bucket are used; during this period, livestock is moved to temporary holding areas to avoid stress.

The floor is covered with peat, sawdust or chopped hay. Litter replacement is carried out as needed, after the feces are removed into the manure canal. The daily consumption of litter for an average adult individual is about 3-4 kg per day, for calves - about 2.5 kg.

Organization of walking

Livestock walking is carried out in the open air in a pre-equipped walking yard. The number of animals in the outdoor yard is strictly limited. When walking adults, the volume of free space for one individual should not be less than 16 square meters; when walking young animals, each calf should have at least 10 square meters.

If necessary, the walking yard is covered with a litter of peat, sawdust or chopped straw. Cattle walking is carried out in small groups.

In the walking yard, they also necessarily equip universal feeders for dry and juicy feed. For hay and straw in the yard, separate covered sheds are created around the perimeter of the fence.
Such structures must fully provide each individual with food, therefore, at least 0.3 m of free space should be provided for each cow in the universal feeder. For sheds with hay and straw, this figure should be at least 0.4 m.

Also, individual drinkers are installed in the courtyard, their number depends on the maximum capacity of the fence.

The main rule of the walking area is perfect cleanliness. To do this, the barrier is cleaned at least 3 times a day. During the procedure, feces, feed residues are eliminated, and a complete replacement is carried out drinking water with a clean one, if necessary, replace the litter.

The cleaning of the walking yard is carried out using all kinds of mechanical means (hand scrapers, shovels, etc.), for large areas they use small tractors or mini-harvesting machines.

In winter, the site is protected from icing (cleaning from snow, sprinkling the area with sand), this protects the livestock from falls and possible injuries.

Veterinary and zootechnical processes

The free keeping of livestock provides for the creation of a carefully thought out and effective system of veterinary and zootechnical control. It makes it possible to improve the efficiency of the farm as a whole, as well as the productivity of the entire herd and its individual groups.
The system includes the following activities:

during deadwood- stopping milking of a cow at least 60 days before the birth of offspring, a thorough examination of animals for mastitis, preventive vaccination against, the introduction of complex vitamin premixes to prevent liver dystrophy and (Protamine, 1 g / individual per day 8 weeks before calving and 12 after calving , or an interchangeable analogue);
during calving- carry out the prevention of delay (Prosolvin, once in a dose of 2 ml / individual intramuscularly, or an interchangeable analogue), maternity cut (Superfos, once 1 bottle / individual inside, or an interchangeable analogue), as well as protective functions of the body (Superbooster, 60 ml / individual per day orally, or an interchangeable analogue);
at the milking stage- introduction of energy and vitamin supplements into the body of animals to improve lactation (any at the choice of a veterinarian);
during the productive period- control of coverings, calving and dynamics of productivity of livestock and individuals, inspection of the udder after each milking.

Important!Cow check-ups, hoof trimming and other procedures are carried out exclusively after milking and only with the help of cow containment equipment.

To control the effectiveness of lactation and the productivity of animals, milk samples are taken every 10 days. During a thorough examination, its fat content, protein concentration, milk yield, etc. are analyzed.

If the farm does not have the opportunity to frequently conduct a high-quality analysis of products, measurements are carried out in remote laboratories on a monthly basis. Based on the data obtained, a periodic regrouping of the herd and the culling of disabled individuals is carried out. helped

It differs from other methods, first of all, by the higher productivity of workers. So, spending 10-20 man-hours, you can get a ton of milk with an annual milk yield of 4-6 thousand kilograms, and each worker can serve 30-45 cows. The main time-saving elements of this technology are as follows: the use of high-performance milking machines such as "tandem", "herringbone", "carousel"; keeping animals in large groups, which makes it possible to standardize work with them; introduction of modern machines for manure removal.

There are several modifications of loose animal keeping:

boxed, when the recreation area and the feeding area are separated by a manure passage;
combo box, when the feed table is on one side of the box;
on a deep litter.

All of these modifications may have their own designs depending on local conditions, availability of equipment and technology.

The main feature of the unattached way of keeping is that the cattle are collected in groups (micro-herds), in which the animals can move and communicate at will. This greatly affects the behavior of cows and imposes requirements on herders to comply with the biological and physiological characteristics of animals. In each isolated group, as in the microdata, over time, its own hierarchy of individuals is built.

If there is insufficient feed supply, collisions between animals can occur, which will greatly reduce the effectiveness of the technology. To prevent this from happening, it is necessary to provide animals with feed as fully and timely as possible.

Modern technology of loose cow housing has a number of patterns that distinguish it from other technologies. Cows reach their maximum productivity at the second calving, and then their productivity decreases. This reduction in the productivity of animals is one of the main factors restraining the transition from tethered to loose housing.

TO today solutions have been developed to improve the efficiency of this technology, which can be divided into the following areas:

ensuring the comfort of animals;
ensuring constant access to voluminous feed;
reduction of stressful situations during technological operations;
preparation of pregnant dry cows and heifers for calving and lactation;
introduction of automation into the technological process;
improving the working conditions of farm workers.

Boxing options for keeping cows

They are carried out both with and without bedding, but it is necessary to lay the bedding in semi-open rooms. When using bedding, box-type boxes are the best choice. Straw, sawdust, peat and other materials similar in structure are laid as a bedding substrate. For lining-free modifications of the technology, wooden or concrete floors with a rubber coating are made.

Standard dimensions of boxes are shown in the table:

Live weight cows, kg	Length boxing, cm	Width boxing, cm	Length combobox, cm
up to 500	190	100	150
501-550	200	105	155
551-600	205	110	160
601-650	210	115	165
over 650	220	120	170

If a litter is used, then it is necessary to install a protective threshold, which will lengthen the box by 150-100 mm. To keep the boxes from getting manure into them and animals entering them backwards, they must be 200 mm higher than the level of the manure passage. To exclude incorrect placement of the animal in the box, neck restraints are used set at the level of 70% of the average height of the herd cows at the withers.

In the case of combobox keeping, mechanisms for rear fixation of animals can be installed in the boxes. If the farm has an open manure disposal system (delta scraper or bulldozer), then bedding the passages should be laid.

Litter options for keeping cows

With the method of keeping cows on deep litter, it is recommended to move the feeding area beyond the boxing areas and equip it own system removal of manure.

If the feeding and resting areas are combined, then the rest area should be 350-400 mm lower than the stern, the floor of which is made with a hard surface for cleaning manure with a bulldozer. Each animal should have 5.5-6.0 square meters of recreation area. Sometimes this method of keeping cows is called - with non-replaceable bedding, but it is periodically necessary to replace it; the consumption of bedding per cow per day should be 4.5-5.0 kg, and with a separate feeding zone 3-3.5 kg.

Milking system

The planned milking and dairy plots and barns for loose cow keeping technology, as well as their combination in the technological chain, must meet the requirements listed below:

not to allow mixing of separate technological groups of animals, both in the barn and on the walking grounds;
ensure the impossibility of mixing milked and non-milked cows;
provide free exit of cows after milking to rest or feeding areas.

Technological techniques

For the full disclosure of the benefits of loose housing of cows, it is necessary to follow the technological methods developed to date, which have passed production testing on highly productive farms.

Each micro-herd of cows should consist of cows close to the time of calving. The time of its acquisition should not exceed 30 days. The number of cows in a group must be a multiple of the number of milking stalls. The composition of the group should be maintained for 5-6 months of lactation, then the animals of the second half of pregnancy are transferred to the pre-launch zone, and new groups are formed from the rest.

It is necessary to form groups of first-calf heifers and cows older than two calves separately. The inclusion of 10-20% of older cows in the micro-herd from first-calf heifers stabilizes the hierarchical relationships in it. It is not allowed to include first heifers in groups of older cows.

New-calf and dry cows require normalization of metabolism and reproductive capabilities, for which they are transferred to pasture keeping.

Do not change the milking time of animals for more than 1.5 hours, especially in the first half of lactation.

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