DISADVANTAGES OF THE ROUND DAIRY BARN
The disadvantages of the round dairy barn are, that it cannot be enlarged by building on as readily as can the rectangular form, but as the round barn may be built higher to the eaves than a rectangular barn 36 feet wide, provision can be made for the growth of the herd by building so as to put cows in the second story and still leave sufficient mow room for hay.
The objection is frequently raised that a round barn is difficult to light. This difficulty is entirely overcome in a barn 90 feet or less in diameter, if a sufficient number of properly spaced windows are used. See [Figs. 4] and [30]. With the same number of windows, the light is more evenly distributed in a round barn and the sun can shine directly into some portion at all hours of the day during the winter.
Fig. 12. First story wall, and foundation for silo, feed alley, and manger; Sill in place, ready for joists and studs.
The objection has been raised that rectangular objects cannot be placed in a circle without a waste of space, but this does not apply to a dairy barn, as the storage of hay and grain depends upon cubical content, alone, and silos should always be circular, no matter where built. Cows, when lying down, are decidedly wedge-shaped, requiring much less space in front than behind. The objection may be raised, with round barns large enough for two rows of cows, that the row headed out does not use the space as economically as in the rectangular form, because a cow needs more width at the rear of the platform than at the manger. Where there are two rows of cows, the inner row is usually headed out, and as only about one-third of the cows are in this row, this loss of space is counterbalanced by the large number of cows in the outer circle using the space more economically than they do in the rectangular barn.
Box stalls cannot be as conveniently arranged, but in a one-row barn, gates hung on the outside and swung around to the manger, form stalls for cows at freshening time, and in a barn with two rows, box stalls can be arranged in the inner circle.
HOW THE ROUND BARN AT THE UNIVERSITY WAS BUILT
The barn is located on the side of a hill, sloping gently to the south and east. With this location, it was an advantage to excavate 5 feet deep on the northwest and run out to the surface of the ground on the southeast.
Fig. 13. Showing temporary bracing to hold studs in place while ship lap ceiling is nailed on.
The footing for the foundation is 18 inches wide. A ten-inch brick wall was carried up nine feet above the stable floor. This wall contains a 2-inch air space to prevent moisture from condensing on the inner wall and making the barn damp. This is an important point, as barns with a solid stone or brick wall are very objectionable on account of dampness. It has been proven by two years' use that this difficulty is entirely obviated by the air space in the wall.
The foundation for the manger and feed alley is built up 2 feet above the stable floor. The foundation for the silo extends 4 feet below the stable floor and is continued 9 inches above the floor in the feed alley. This silo wall, together with the foundation under the manger, forms the foundation for the center supports of the barn. [Fig. 12] shows the foundation completed.
The silo, which is the Gurler type, was then started and carried up with the barn. It was built by placing 2 × 4 studs around the circle, one foot on centers, and ceiling inside with 1⁄2 × 6-inch lumber. This 1⁄2-inch lumber was obtained by re-sawing 1 × 6 yellow pine fencing. Common lath were then put on horizontally in the regular way inside, without furring out, and plastered with rich cement plaster.
The sill of the barn is 6 × 6, made up of 1 × 6s, and built on top of the wall. Building it up in this manner makes a stronger sill than can be obtained in any other way, as it forms a continuous hoop around the barn.
Fig. 14. Showing height and construction of silo, siding completed, and four main rafters in place.
The joists are 2 × 12s notched 6 inches to fit the sill, so that the outer ends rest on both the sill and the brick wall. The outer span of joists is 14 feet and the inner ends of these joists rest on a similar sill built of 1 × 6s on top of the 4 × 4 supports at the stanchions. The inner span of joists, between the stanchions and the silo, is 8 feet, the outer end resting on the sill over the stanchions, and the inner end on a 11⁄2 × 6-inch band, made up of three 1⁄2 × 6-inch pieces, running around the outside of the silo. These joists are placed 21⁄2 feet apart at the outside of the barn, and half as many joists are used in the inner span, making the joists at the silo one foot apart. The number of joists under the driveways are doubled, being only 1 foot and 3 inches apart at the outside of the barn.
Fig. 15. Showing all rafters in place and method of sheathing roof.
The studs, which are 2 × 6s, 20 feet long, were then placed on the sill, about 2 feet 6 inches apart, being as evenly spaced between the windows as possible, and temporarily braced, as shown in [Fig. 13], until the 8-inch ship lap ceiling could be nailed on the outside. This was carried up 5 feet to the second scaffold, and then covered to this height with shingles laid 5 inches to the weather. The scaffolding was then moved up and this process repeated until the siding was completed. The plate, made up of five 1 × 4s, was then built in the notch in the top of the studs shown in [Fig. 13].
Fig. 16. Showing height of silo, capacity of barn, and construction of roof.
The silo was completed, as before described. The rafters, which were framed on the ground, were then erected, as shown in [Fig. 14], the first eight going to the center of the roof, and the remaining ones were cut to rest on the plate of the silo. There are 64 framed rafters, and these are the only ones in the upper section of the roof. At the break in the roof, a header is cut in between the framed rafters, and in the lower section a rafter is placed between these, thus making twice as many rafters in the lower section of the roof as in the upper section. After the rafters were all in place and temporarily braced, the 1 × 2-inch sheathing was put on, as shown in [Fig. 15], and the shingles, which were the best 5⁄2 red cedar, were laid 5 inches to the weather on the lower section of the roof, and 4 inches to the weather on the upper section, as this had less pitch. No chalk line was necessary, as the shingles were laid by the sheathing.
Fig. 17. Showing arrangement of joists and how the floor is laid.
The floor was made of 1 × 8 ship lap, laid in four directions, as shown in [Fig. 17]. In the driveway an extra layer of ship lap was used, making this portion of the floor 2 inches thick.
The doorways in the second story are 14 feet wide, and in the lower story 12 feet. These openings are closed by two sliding doors, each door being made of two sections, hinged together so as to follow the circular wall of the barn in opening.
The cow stable is on the ground floor, and well lighted by 16 windows having twelve 9 × 12 lights each. There are also six windows in the doors. The windows are placed just below the ceiling and admit an abundance of sunshine at all times of the day, which is one of the essentials of a good dairy barn.
Fig. 18. Showing present arrangement of cow stable. There are stanchions and mangers for 28 cows, and 2200 sq. ft. of floor space in which the cows can run loose. The gates are swung into the present position when box stalls are needed.
The floor, back of the manger, is of clay, except at the door, where a small portion is covered with cement. The cows run loose except at feeding and milking time, when they are placed in rigid stanchions. It must be distinctly understood that rigid stanchions are strongly condemned as a cow tie, where cows are to remain in them all night, but as they are here used merely to hold the cow during milking, they are both economical and convenient.
Fig. 19. Showing cross section of 60-foot round barn.
Fig. 20. Cleaning out cow stable with three-horse manure spreader.
Fig. 21. Cows in stanchion at milking time.
Running cows loose in this manner is an excellent method, where bedding is abundant and sufficient space is available, as the cows are more comfortable, and all fertility is saved. There is no waste from leaching, as when the manure lies exposed to the weather. This method saves the labor of cleaning the stable, as the manure is loaded into the spreader and hauled directly upon the land whenever convenient, and the land is in the best condition to receive it.[C]
Three gates are hung on posts at the outside wall, and when box stalls are needed, these are swung around to the manger, as shown in [Fig. 18]. The south door in the cow stable can be closed by slatted gates, thus affording an abundance of fresh air and sunshine on nice days, without letting the cows out of the barn.
[C] For a more detailed discussion of the advantages of keeping cows in this manner, see Illinois Agricultural Experiment Station Circular No. 93.