Current through Register 2022 Notice Reg. No. 14, April 8, 2022
(a)
Slopes and Finishes.
(1) The floors, curbs,
and gutters shall be constructed of concrete or other material acceptable to
the Secretary. The floors and gutters, if of concrete or concrete base, shall
be at least 4 inches thick. The floors, alleys, gutters, mangers, and curbs
shall slope lengthwise at a minimum of 1 1/2 inches in 10 feet. The cow
standing platform and litter alley shall slope at least 1 inch toward the
gutter. The cow standing platform in the elevated stall type barn shall slope
toward the wall at a minimum grade of 1 1/2 inches in 10 feet or this slope
requirement may be eliminated with a flush system approved by the
Secretary.
(2) A 2-inch minimum
radius cove is required at all floor and wall junctions and shall be an
integral part of the floor.
(3) The
manger, if concrete, gutter and curbs when present, shall be finished smooth
with a steel trowel. The cow standing platform, wash pen, litter alley, and
feed alley shall be given a true even surface with a wood float. The cow
standing platform, litter alley, holding corral, and concrete lane shall be
treated to prevent slipping and may be finished either with a suitable
instrument, drawn in the direction of both slopes or treatment of the surface
with emery aggregate, carborundum grit, or equivalent material. A sand or rock
cushion of at least 6 inches shall be placed under the floor on soils other
than sandy loam. All concrete floor slabs shall be reinforced with a minimum of
#6x#6/10x10 steel mesh or other reinforcing material of equal or greater
strength.
(b) Walls.
All walls shall be of masonry or reinforced concrete and be
at least 3 feet 6 inches in height above the floor. All walls shall be finished
smooth on the inside with the top ledge rounded on open walls. When a barn wall
forms part of the holding corral or an entrance or exit lane, it shall be
finished smooth on the outside. Where concrete block or masonry construction is
used, all voids below the floor line shall be filled with concrete. In elevated
stall type barns, the wall under the cow standing platform adjacent to the
milker's area shall be finished smooth.
(c) Plate Line.
The plate line in the floor level milking barn shall not be
less than 7 feet 3 inches above the floor. In elevated stall type barns, the
plate line shall be not less than 6 feet 6 inches above the cow standing
platform.
(d)
Superstructure.
The exposed superstructure of the barn roof or ceiling
shall be constructed of smooth material. Exposed superstructure shall be such
that the roof sheathing is applied directly to the rafters.
(e) Electrical Wiring.
All surface-mounted wiring shall be in rigid conduit or
electrical metal tubing. All outlets and switches in wet locations shall be of
a type which afford protection from water. Metal stanchions shall be
electrically grounded.
(f)
Stalls.
The cow standing platform in floor level barns shall not be
less than 3 feet wide for each cow and shall be at least 4 feet 10 inches and
not over 6 feet from the stanchion line to the gutter, depending on the size of
the cattle and the design of the manger. Where stanchions are not used, the cow
standing platform shall be at least 7 feet in length. The cow stall in tandem
type elevated stall barns shall be 8 feet in length. The tandem, parallel and
herringbone stalls shall have a smooth, flat, nonabsorbent splash panel behind
each cow.
(g) Light and Air
Space.
The milking barn shall have at least 400 cubic feet of air
space for each stall. Window space shall be equivalent to at least 6 percent of
the floor area. Light-transmitting material in the roof may be substituted for
window space. Artificial light shall not be less than 20-foot candles at the
floor level and so located as to minimize shadows in the milking area.
(h) Alleys.
(1) The litter alley exclusive of gutter
shall be not less than 4 feet 9 inches wide behind a single string of cows or
goats. In two-string, head-out barns, the litter alley shall be at least 8 feet
wide between gutters.
(2) In floor
level barns, the feed alley in single and two-string, head-out types, shall be
at least 5 feet 9 inches wide between stanchion line and wall. In two-string,
head-in barns, a minimum of 10 feet between lines of stanchions is
required.
(3) The milker's alley in
the two-string tandem type elevated stall barn shall be at least 8 feet wide,
but may be reduced to 5 feet at the narrowest point when automatic feeders are
installed and used. The width of the milker's alley in the two-string
herringbone type barn may be reduced to 5 feet at the narrowest
point.
(4) In the single-string
elevated stall type barn, the milker's alley shall be at least 4 feet wide. The
milker's alley and passageway if combined shall be at least 8 feet
wide.
(i) Gutters.
All barns shall have gutters so designed and located to
catch the defecation of cows while in the stall and washings of the
barns.
(1) Gutters in the floor level
type barn may be either the trench or step-off type. The gutter shall be at
least 14 inches wide and 2 inches deep at the cow standing platform. The gutter
floor shall slope down away from the cow standing platform 1/2 inch across its
width. The gutter shall have a uniform depth for its entire length.
(2) The gutters in the elevated stall type
barn shall be grate-covered in the stall. The stall gutter shall be located to
catch the defecation of the cow in the stall. It shall be at least 500 square
inches in area and at least 20 inches wide and 4 inches deep. The herringbone
type barns may have the stall gutter width reduced to 14 inches provided the
500 square inch area per animal is maintained. The parallel type barn shall
have a 6-inch-wide gutter mounted to the splash panel. Gutter shall
automatically flush when cows exit.
(3) Pipe used for barn gutter drainage shall
not be less than 4 inches in diameter and meet local plumbing codes.
(j) Curbs.
(1) In elevated type barns, the cow standing
platform shall be curbed on the side next to the milker's alley and the curb
shall be at least 4 inches in height and designed to retain the elevated stall
floor washings. Metal curbs shall be free of voids and sealed to stall floor or
wall.
(2) In floor level barns, a
curb under the stanchion line at least 6 inches wide and 12 inches high from
the stall floor is required, except where metal mangers are used; the top of
this curb shall be rounded.
(k) Stanchions.
Stanchions shall be of metal or other waterproof, easily
cleanable material approved by the Director. The lower horizontal line of the
stanchion shall be at least 2 inches above the curb and at least 14 inches
above the floor when no curb is provided.
(l) Mangers.
In floor level type barns, the manger shall have a minimum
width of 27 inches with a back wall at least 12 inches above the floor; corners
rounded, the low point of the manger at least 8 inches out from the stanchion
line and 3 inches above the floor; with a true lengthwise slope of a minimum of
11/2 inches in 10 feet. Mangers and feed boxes in all type barns shall be
constructed of impervious materials, finished smooth and provided with drainage
outlets at low points.
(m)
Ventilators. Adequate ventilation shall be provided in the milking barn and
holding corral/wash area if roofed.
(1)
Continuous open (18 inch) ridge vents that rise at least 6 inches above the
roof are acceptable. Any ridge vent continuing over the feed room shall be
screened fly tight.
(2) Stack type
vents are acceptable. Where this type of vent is used, provision shall be made
for a 12-inch diameter opening on single-string barns, or a 14-inch diameter
opening for multi-string barns, with not more than 10 feet between vent and
wall and vent and vent.
(3) When a
flat ceiling is installed, it shall have at least two vents, 2 feet by 2 feet
or equivalent, shafted to a roof peak vent which has not less than a 12-inch
opening. The ceiling vents may be located directly in line over the cow
standing platform or over the milker's pit. The vents shall be located not more
than 10 feet between vent and wall and vent and vent.
(n) Barn Doors. The lower half of barn doors
shall be covered on both sides with smooth corrosion-resistant metal.
(o) The dimensions of sub items (b), (f),
(h), (i), (j), (k), (l), of T3-659 may be altered for milking barns for
goats.
