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.
[Illustration: 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 x 4 studs around the circle, one
foot on centers, and ceiling inside with 1/2 x 6-inch lumber. This
1/2-inch lumber was obtained by re-sawing 1 x 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 x 6, made up of 1 x 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.
[Illustration: FIG. 14. SHOWING HEIGHT AND CONSTRUCTION OF SILO, SIDING
COMPLETED, AND FOUR MAIN RAFTERS IN PLACE.]
The joists are 2 x 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 x 6s on top of the 4 x 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 1-1/2 x 6-inch band, made up of three 1/2 x 6-inch pieces, running
around the outside of the silo. These joists are placed 2-1/2 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.
[Illustration: FIG. 15. SHOWING ALL RAFTERS IN PLACE AND METHOD OF
SHEATHING ROOF.]
The studs, which are 2 x 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 x 4s, was then built in the notch in the top of the
studs shown in Fig. 13.
[Illustration: 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 x 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.
[Illustration: FIG. 17. SHOWING ARRANGEMENT OF JOISTS AND HOW THE FLOOR
IS LAID.]
The floor was made of 1 x 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 x 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.
[Illustration: 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.
[Illustration: FIG. 19. SHOWING CROSS SECTION OF 60-FOOT ROUND BARN.]
[Illustration: FIG. 20. CLEANING OUT COW STABLE WITH THREE-HORSE MANURE
SPREADER.]
[Illustration: 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]
[C] For a more detailed discussion of the advantages of
keeping cows in this manner, see Illinois Agricultural
Experiment Station Circular No. 93.
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.