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Metabolism Stalls
METABOLISM STALLS A. D. P R A T T AND C. W. HOLDAWAY
Dairy Husbandry Department, Virginia Agricultural Experiment Station, Blaclcsburg, Virginia I n balance trial and digestion trial work at the Virginia Agricultural E x p e r i m e n t Station prior to 1938 the experimental animals were kept in a room with a level concrete floor where attendants caught the excreta on shovels and in buckets. To c a r r y out a trial without loss of excreta on the floor was extremel.y difficult. Since our work is entirely with cows, we f o u n d it impossible to collect satisfactorily with rubber ducts. F u r t h e r m o r e a stove, which was located on one side of the room, overheated the cows nearest the stove, causing them to pant, and allowed the a t t e n d a n t of the cows on the side of tile room away from the stove to become chilled. How much this affected the results of digestion trials could only be surmised. To avoid these conditions and to reduce the cost of continuous calcium and phosphorus balance trials the metabolism stalls described in this article were built. A basement room 22 feet square was used for this purpose. This room has three outside exposures ; the east side adjoins the main stable. As is shown in the floor plan, tile metabolism stalls are a r r a n g e d so t h a t cows can be led into this room from the west side. The second illustration shows the sections through the first stall. F o u r stalls are elevated three feet above the floor level by means of retaining walls and dirt, excavated f r o m the rear of the stalls, used for filling. Over this f o u n d a t i o n a slab of reinforced concrete was poured with sunken areas in each stall for laying cork brick floors. I n the rear of each stall, a storm grating was fitted with a copper funnel u n d e r n e a t h to direct the excreta into thirty-gallon garbage cans. Because of corrosion b y sulphates, these copper funnels had to be replaced by galvanized iron. Doors which can be raised to allow the a t t e n d a n t to remove the collection cans were hinged to the outside walls in a position level with the rear of the stall. These stalls were separated b y concrete curbs over which wooden stall partitions were located. Wooden frames covered with sheet metal were made to fit the rear of the stall and to direct the excreta d o w n w a r d to tile storm grating. The rear hail of the wooden stall partitions was also covered with sheet metal to prevent the excreta from one cow f r o m reaching the adjoining stall. W h e n these stalls were used for digestion trials where the feces and urine must be collected separately, the splash boards were removed from the rear of the stalls to al]ow the attendant to have access to the cow. A litter carrier track installed at the rear of these stalls connected with the track system of the barn. Wooden mangers were provided of such Received for publication December 12, 1941. 293
294
A. D. P R A T T A N D C. W .
I~tOLDAWAY
a width that they would telescope into the f r o n t of the stall between the partitions thereby adjusting the length of the stall to the individual cow. Short pieces of pipe were sunk into the concrete at intervals of three inches into which door bolts fastened to the manger could be inserted, preventing
\ BOILER
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/
PLAN I
V~NTFAN~
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SECTION animals from shoving the mangers forward and backward. The detaiIs o£ manger construction are given in a previous paper (1). Ventilation is provided b y a "Jamesway" ventilator in the south wall of the room. This ventilator f a n is regulated by thermostatic control, which starts the fan when the t e m p e r a t u r e reaches 56 ° F. and stops it when the temperature falls to 52 ° F. The room is heated by a hot water supply boiler. A " T r a n e " unit heater, installed in the hot water line, is so located as to direct the heat past
I~[ETAROLISM STALLS
295
the end of the partition which separates the metabolism stalls f r o m the work room f r o m which the metabolism stalls are entered at the rear. A wall thermostat controls the u n i t heater. The w a t e r in the system is circulated b y a " T h r u s h " circulator located in the boiler room which is directly ahead of the metabolism stalls. The water circulator in t u r n is operated b y a reverse acting aquastat in the r e t u r n i n g hot w a t e r line between the unit heater and the circulator. An overhead expansion t a n k allows for the necessary change in volume due to heating of the w a t e r a n d a check valve prevents hot w a t e r f r o m being forced back into the cold w a t e r line which feeds the system. The combined action of the " J a m e s w a y " ventilator a n d of the heating system results in a v e r y u n i f o r m t e m p e r a t u r e and in low h u m i d i t y except when the outside air is excessively humid. F o u r " T r i d e n t " w a t e r meters measure the w a t e r which flows to w a t e r cups placed in the f o u r stalls. A n o t h e r m e t e r measures the w a t e r which might be used f o r washing the stalls. This would be necessary if w a t e r f r o m the pipe line were used for washing purposes as the w a t e r is v e r y "hard." D u r i n g the two years which the stalls have been in use, distilled water has been used f o r washing the stalls daily before the excreta is weighed. The use of the meters to the water cups makes it possible to estimate the amount of calcium supplied to each cow t h r o u g h the water. A severe case of mastitis developed in one cow. Since occasional cases of mastitis develop in the m a i n herd the metabolism stalls m a y not have been the cause in this case. H o w e v e r the s t o r m gratings are good conductors of heat a n d help to chill the udder. A chimney effect is produced b y the funnel and a d r a f t results. This m i g h t be p r e v e n t e d b y a canvas attached to the funnel a n d gathered tightly around the can b y an elastic band. SUMMARY
Four metabolism stalls were constructed with storm gratings placed in the r e a r of each stall and with funnels u n d e r n e a t h which direct excreta into garbage cans. A f a n ventilator with a thermostatic control regulates the h u m i d i t y quite satisfactorily. A hot w a t e r boiler and u n i t heater provided with a w a t e r circulator controlled b y a reverse acting a q u a s t a t provide satisfactory heat. These stalls have been used for two years f o r balance trials, successfully eliminating the need for constant attendants. W h e n used for digestion trials in which the feces a n d urine are collected separately, these stalls helped to eliminate errors b y making it possible to recover q u a n t i t a t i v e l y either feces or urine which the a t t e n d a n t failed to catch. REFERENCE (1) PRATT, A. D. A Manger for Experimental Feeding. Joum :DAIRY ScI., 21: 10, 643-644. 1938.
Dairy Husbandry Department, Virginia Agricultural Experiment Station, Blaclcsburg, Virginia I n balance trial and digestion trial work at the Virginia Agricultural E x p e r i m e n t Station prior to 1938 the experimental animals were kept in a room with a level concrete floor where attendants caught the excreta on shovels and in buckets. To c a r r y out a trial without loss of excreta on the floor was extremel.y difficult. Since our work is entirely with cows, we f o u n d it impossible to collect satisfactorily with rubber ducts. F u r t h e r m o r e a stove, which was located on one side of the room, overheated the cows nearest the stove, causing them to pant, and allowed the a t t e n d a n t of the cows on the side of tile room away from the stove to become chilled. How much this affected the results of digestion trials could only be surmised. To avoid these conditions and to reduce the cost of continuous calcium and phosphorus balance trials the metabolism stalls described in this article were built. A basement room 22 feet square was used for this purpose. This room has three outside exposures ; the east side adjoins the main stable. As is shown in the floor plan, tile metabolism stalls are a r r a n g e d so t h a t cows can be led into this room from the west side. The second illustration shows the sections through the first stall. F o u r stalls are elevated three feet above the floor level by means of retaining walls and dirt, excavated f r o m the rear of the stalls, used for filling. Over this f o u n d a t i o n a slab of reinforced concrete was poured with sunken areas in each stall for laying cork brick floors. I n the rear of each stall, a storm grating was fitted with a copper funnel u n d e r n e a t h to direct the excreta into thirty-gallon garbage cans. Because of corrosion b y sulphates, these copper funnels had to be replaced by galvanized iron. Doors which can be raised to allow the a t t e n d a n t to remove the collection cans were hinged to the outside walls in a position level with the rear of the stall. These stalls were separated b y concrete curbs over which wooden stall partitions were located. Wooden frames covered with sheet metal were made to fit the rear of the stall and to direct the excreta d o w n w a r d to tile storm grating. The rear hail of the wooden stall partitions was also covered with sheet metal to prevent the excreta from one cow f r o m reaching the adjoining stall. W h e n these stalls were used for digestion trials where the feces and urine must be collected separately, the splash boards were removed from the rear of the stalls to al]ow the attendant to have access to the cow. A litter carrier track installed at the rear of these stalls connected with the track system of the barn. Wooden mangers were provided of such Received for publication December 12, 1941. 293
294
A. D. P R A T T A N D C. W .
I~tOLDAWAY
a width that they would telescope into the f r o n t of the stall between the partitions thereby adjusting the length of the stall to the individual cow. Short pieces of pipe were sunk into the concrete at intervals of three inches into which door bolts fastened to the manger could be inserted, preventing
\ BOILER
-
I UNI'~H|ATI[R ' ~ PASSAG E:WAy
/
PLAN I
V~NTFAN~
Ii
SECTION animals from shoving the mangers forward and backward. The detaiIs o£ manger construction are given in a previous paper (1). Ventilation is provided b y a "Jamesway" ventilator in the south wall of the room. This ventilator f a n is regulated by thermostatic control, which starts the fan when the t e m p e r a t u r e reaches 56 ° F. and stops it when the temperature falls to 52 ° F. The room is heated by a hot water supply boiler. A " T r a n e " unit heater, installed in the hot water line, is so located as to direct the heat past
I~[ETAROLISM STALLS
295
the end of the partition which separates the metabolism stalls f r o m the work room f r o m which the metabolism stalls are entered at the rear. A wall thermostat controls the u n i t heater. The w a t e r in the system is circulated b y a " T h r u s h " circulator located in the boiler room which is directly ahead of the metabolism stalls. The water circulator in t u r n is operated b y a reverse acting aquastat in the r e t u r n i n g hot w a t e r line between the unit heater and the circulator. An overhead expansion t a n k allows for the necessary change in volume due to heating of the w a t e r a n d a check valve prevents hot w a t e r f r o m being forced back into the cold w a t e r line which feeds the system. The combined action of the " J a m e s w a y " ventilator a n d of the heating system results in a v e r y u n i f o r m t e m p e r a t u r e and in low h u m i d i t y except when the outside air is excessively humid. F o u r " T r i d e n t " w a t e r meters measure the w a t e r which flows to w a t e r cups placed in the f o u r stalls. A n o t h e r m e t e r measures the w a t e r which might be used f o r washing the stalls. This would be necessary if w a t e r f r o m the pipe line were used for washing purposes as the w a t e r is v e r y "hard." D u r i n g the two years which the stalls have been in use, distilled water has been used f o r washing the stalls daily before the excreta is weighed. The use of the meters to the water cups makes it possible to estimate the amount of calcium supplied to each cow t h r o u g h the water. A severe case of mastitis developed in one cow. Since occasional cases of mastitis develop in the m a i n herd the metabolism stalls m a y not have been the cause in this case. H o w e v e r the s t o r m gratings are good conductors of heat a n d help to chill the udder. A chimney effect is produced b y the funnel and a d r a f t results. This m i g h t be p r e v e n t e d b y a canvas attached to the funnel a n d gathered tightly around the can b y an elastic band. SUMMARY
Four metabolism stalls were constructed with storm gratings placed in the r e a r of each stall and with funnels u n d e r n e a t h which direct excreta into garbage cans. A f a n ventilator with a thermostatic control regulates the h u m i d i t y quite satisfactorily. A hot w a t e r boiler and u n i t heater provided with a w a t e r circulator controlled b y a reverse acting a q u a s t a t provide satisfactory heat. These stalls have been used for two years f o r balance trials, successfully eliminating the need for constant attendants. W h e n used for digestion trials in which the feces a n d urine are collected separately, these stalls helped to eliminate errors b y making it possible to recover q u a n t i t a t i v e l y either feces or urine which the a t t e n d a n t failed to catch. REFERENCE (1) PRATT, A. D. A Manger for Experimental Feeding. Joum :DAIRY ScI., 21: 10, 643-644. 1938.