Cow Stall Dimensioning
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- 2009-11-16
Things to Consider When Choosing Cow Stall Dimensions
Posted: November 16, 2009
There is much more to consider when determining appropriate cow stall dimensions than the space you have available or the number of cattle you have. For optimum results, you need to take into consideration the size of the smallest, medium-sized, and mature cow of your herd. Stalls are often created to meet the needs of the cows and the keeper according to the different cow sizes within your herd. By building more than one size stall, you can accommodate the needs of different sized animals so that they will benefit from the features to keep them comfortable and clean.
While the actual size of the stall is designed to give the cow room to lie, stand, and to lunge forward enough to shift positions, you will also need to consider the size of mattress and bedding you will use when making vertical calculations. If you choose rubber mats to provide cushioning, you will still need to cover with another type of material for support; three inches is recommended. Depending on the thickness of the mats and the type and quantity of bedding placed on top of them, you will need to take the measurement into consideration when deciding on the placement of the other features within the stall and not just the measurements of the animals.
Your decisions on the dimensions and materials used in stall design will determine the cleanliness, labor for maintenance, and comfort of the cow as well as the cleanliness of the stall. There is more to measuring the dimensions of a cow than just getting those while standing or lying down. While the nose-to-tail length is the measurement of a standing cow, the natural crook in every cow’s neck will decrease the value of the measurement when she is standing so you must actually allow for more room.
The imprint length is the measurement from the folded foreknee to the tail and is taken while she is lying in the narrow position. This is the measurement that you will use to determine the needed length for the stall. When a cow extends her front legs into a normal resting position, the imprint length naturally increases.
When the cow is resting in the narrow position, the measurement from the point of the hock on the upper hind leg to the extensions of the abdomen of the opposing side is the measurement that will determine the imprint width. This is the least amount of room the cow will need to rest in the stall but keep in mind that a wider width will provide your cattle with more comfort.
Once you have determined the imprint length and width for a cow, you must also add the space needed for lunging motions. For a mature cow, this may be about twenty additional inches of available forward space. The space needed for movement when rising and lying includes forward, downward and upward space that is not only important for comfort but also for considering the opening location at the front of the stalls and the position of the rails.
You may want to consider adding a front to the manger that will help reduce the cows from stepping forward when they eat. This will aid in your efforts to keep the stalls clean since the animals usually defecate when they are standing forward. A tie rail or head rail are another consideration in the dimensions you need to use. This is the pipe where you will attach a tie chain to gain control of the forward location of a cow. In addition, it usually acts as the water line. The tie rail will allow your cow to stand straight or rise and lie without any interference from the rail. Its position should be about 0.8 x rump height over top of the bed, mounted forward of the manger curb and over the manger. When preparing the tie rail, the dimensions of mats and mattresses and bedding should be calculated into the vertical placement of the head rail.
The manger curb is placed in the stall to restrict the cow’s forward movement when lying in the stall and also works to control bedding from being moved into the feed while maintaining the feed in the manger. Water bowl placement is determined by the nose-to-pole length of the cow. For mature cows, the space required for access is about twenty-four inches so you will need to give them more than twenty-four inches from the top of the water bowl to whatever may be above it.
Determining the right stall dimensions for your cattle is an important aspect to designing the ideal stall for keeping your cows safe and healthy. Knowing what the important features of a well-designed stall and the needed dimensions are will provide you with the tools to create a clean environment for your cows.