Cattle Barns Research Articles

Estimation of Minimum Ventilation Requirement of Dairy Cattle Barns for Different Outdoor Temperature and its Affects on Indoor Temperature: Bursa Case

In the study, 10 different dairy cattle barns with natural ventilation system were investigated in terms of structural aspects. VENTGRAPH software package was used to estimate minimum ventilation requirements for three different outdoor design temperatures (-3, 0 and 1.7 degrees C). Variation in indoor temperatures was also determined according to the above-mentioned conditions. In the investigated dairy cattle barns, on condition that minimum ventilation requirement to be achieved for -3, 0 and 1.7 degrees C outdoor design temperature and 70, 80% Indoor Relative Humidity (IRH), estimated indoor temperature were ranged from 2.2 to 12.2 degrees C for 70% IRH, 4.3 to 15.0 degrees C for 80% IRH. Barn type, outdoor design temperature and indoor relative humidity significantly (p < 0.01) affect the indoor temperature. The highest ventilation requirement was calculated for straw yard (13879 m3 h(-1)) while the lowest was estimated for tie-stall (6169.20 m3 h(-1)). Estimated minimum ventilation requirements per animal were significantly (p < 0.01) different according to the barn types. Effect of outdoor esign temperatures on minimum ventilation requirements and minimum ventilation requirements per animal was found to be significant (p < 0.05, p < 0.01). Estimated indoor temperatures were in thermoneutral zone (-2 to 20 degrees C). Therefore, one can be said that use of naturally ventilated cold dairy barns in the region will not lead to problems associated with animal comfort in winter.

Comparing Norse Animal Husbandry Practices: Paleoethnobotanical Analyses from Iceland and Greenland

The popular view of the Norse settlement across the North Atlantic describes colonies with similar subsistence practices being established from the Faroe Islands in the west to L'Anse aux Meadows in the east. The importance of plant resources to the Norse animal husbandry strategies implemented by settlers upon arrival are not well established, nor are the changes these strategies underwent, eventually resulting in different cultural solutions to varying environmental and social factors. This paper compares archaeobotanical samples from two Icelandic archaeological sites, Svalbarð and Gjögur, and one Greenlandic site, Gården Under Sandet (GUS). Results of this comparison suggest that heathland shrubs were an important fodder resource for caprines in both Iceland and Greenland while apophytes ("weedy taxa") were part of the cattle fodder in Greenland. Further, the results indicate that mucking out of cattle barns to provide fertilizer was likely practiced at the GUS site in the Western Norse settlement of Greenland.

Barn swallows prefer to nest at sites hidden from neighboring nests within a loose colony

Some loosely colonial species scatter their nests within a colony. Most studies on mechanisms that generate such scattered nests within a colony have primarily focused on the measurement of distance related to the intensity of interactions among conspecific neighbors. However, these interactions can change not only with distance between nests but also with other factors. In particular, whether the nest is hidden from neighbors can strongly affect the intensity of interaction for birds that usually use sight for communication. To show the possible benefit of nesting at sites hidden from neighboring nests, we studied the nest arrangements and settlement patterns within a barn swallow colony. We tested whether the swallows prefer nesting at sites hidden from neighboring nests in cattle barns that are often used as colony sites by the swallows in Japan. We found that the sides of ceiling beams hidden from neighbors were preferred as nesting sites. A randomization test suggested that the rectangular sections occupied by swallows were not spaced out within a colony. The results suggested that the swallows preferred nesting sites hidden from their neighbors and did not space out their nests within a colony. This paper also refutes intraspecific brood parasitism as a plausible function of this behavior.

Influence of Bedding Material on Ammonia Emissions from Cattle Excreta

Dairy cattle barns are a major source of NH3 emissions to the atmosphere. Previous studies have shown that the bedding material used in the barn can influence the magnitude of NH3 emissions, but little is known about which bedding characteristics are important in this respect. The aims of this study were to assess, at a laboratory scale, the relative importance of the chemical [pH, cation exchange capacity (CEC), C:N] and physical (urine absorbance capacity, bulk density) characteristics of 5 bedding materials (chopped wheat straw, sand, pine shavings, chopped newspaper, chopped corn stalks, and recycled manure solids) on NH3 emissions from dairy cattle urine. Recycled manure solids were the most absorbent of the bedding types (4.2g of urine/g of bedding), and sand was the least (0.3g of urine/g of bedding). When beddings were soaked in urine to their absorbance capacities, NH3 emissions over 48h (expressed as a proportion of the urine N absorbed) were not significantly different among bedding types, despite differences in initial bedding pH, CEC, and C:N. When equal volumes of urine were applied to equal depths of dry bedding, NH3 emissions over 48h were significantly less from sand and pine shavings (23 and 42% of applied urine N, respectively) than from chopped newspaper, chopped corn stalks, and recycled manure solids (62, 68, and 65% of applied urine N, respectively), whereas emissions from chopped wheat straw (55% applied urine N) only differed significantly from that from sand. Differences in the chemical characteristics of the beddings did not explain differences in emission; NH3 emissions increased linearly with CEC contrary to expectations, and there was no significant relationship with initial bedding pH. The physical characteristics of bedding materials were of more importance, as NH3 emissions increased linearly with absorbance capacity and decreased as the bulk density of the packed beddings increased.

Automatic Receding Horizon Optimal Control of the Natural Ventilation Process in Cattle Barns

The design and simulation results of an automatic receding horizon optimal controller (RHOC), that controls the ventilation and the associated climate in cattle barns through variable valve openings, are presented. The design is based on so called comfort parameters for cattle in barns and a dynamic model, originally developed using a finite-element programming package, that describes the natural ventilation and the associated climate in cattle barns. In addition to the model the RHOC uses the so called 'lazy man weather prediction' to control the ventilation and the associated climate in the barn. The 'lazy man weather prediction', which assumes the future weather to stay equal to the most recent measurements, is to be preferred over other weather predictions. The choice of the optimisation horizon length and the implementation of the RHOC are discussed and illustrated. The simulation results illustrate the high potential of an RHOC to control the ventilation and the associated climate in cattle barns. When compared to optimal open loop control over the full horizon the loss of perfonnance of the closed loop RHOC, caused by the receding horizon, is limited to about 5 percent. In practice closed loop control is necessary to counteract disturbances and modelling errors.

Pupal parasitoids (Hymenoptera:Pteromalidae) of filth flies (Diptera:Muscidae, Calliphoridae) breeding in refuse and poultry and livestock manure in South Korea.

Five species of hymenopterous parasitoids were found parasitizing pupae of house flies, Musca domestica L., in poultry and livestock facilities, refuse dump sites, and garbage dumpsters: Spalangia nigroaenea Curtis, S. nigra (Latrielle), Muscidifurax raptor Girault & Sanders, Pachycrepoideus vindemiae (Rondani), and Nasonia vitripennis (Walker). Four hymenopterous parasitoids (S. nigroaenea, S. nigra, M. raptor and P. vindemiae) were recovered from the pupae of stable flies, Stomoxys calcitrans (L), and blowflies, Chrysomya megacephala (F.). Only 2 parasitic species (S. nigroaenea and P. Vindemiae) were recovered from the pupae of stable flies, Stomoxys calcitrans (L), and blowflies, Chrysomya megacephala (F.). Only 2 parasitic species (S. nigroaenea and P.vindemiae) were recovered from the pupae of blowflies, Phaenicia sericata (Meigen). S. nigroaenea was the most prevalent parasitic species recovered in caged-layer houses, beef cattle barns, refuse dumps, and garbage dumpsters. P. vindemiae was the most abundant parasitic species in swine barns.

The "Pretty" Green of Schools

During a recent competition among village communities it was heard that the prize judges rated the perception that wild spinach was growing on a wall on a village street as a positive point in the evaluation of a locality. Knowing readers will in most cases take this in with a quizzical shake of the head. Even those who are (still) cognizant of the fact that this is a goosefoot (bot.) that formerly had grown in places with a high ammonium content, such as walls along a roadside and in cattle barns, will be puzzled that this forgotten wild vegetable has now served to upgrade a village. What's behind it?

ERZURUM ÎLt MERKEZ tî ÇEDE KAMU KURULUŞLARI DESTEĞİYLE YAPİLAN SÜT SIĞIRI AHIRLARININ YAPISAL DURUMU VE GELİŞTİRME OLANAKLARI ÜZERİNE BİR ARAŞTIRMA

ERZURUM ÎLt MERKEZ tî ÇEDE KAMU KURULUŞLARI DESTEĞİYLE YAPİLAN SÜT SIĞIRI AHIRLARININ YAPISAL DURUMU VE GELİŞTİRME OLANAKLARI ÜZERİNE BİR ARAŞTIRMA

Bovine ringworm. An outbreak caused by Trichophyton mentagrophytes var. granulare in Greece.

Seven cattle barns were investigated during the years 1976 through 1977. Six of these barns located in central Euboea have been characterized as "suspect" barns because one or more persons working in these barns had been infected by dermatomycosis. The seventh barn serving as control was located on the opposite side of the Boeotic coast. A total of 60 "suspected as infected" animals were isolated from all these barns. Twenty-one of them (35%) gave positive cultures for dermatophytes in Sabouraud medium. Of the 113 "healthy" animals that were examined, 28 (24.8%) gave positive cultures. The only pathogenic strain of dermatophyte that was isolated was the Trichophyton mentagrophytes var. granulare.

Breeding of Hirundo rustica at Taiki in Southern Part of Tokachi District, Hokkaido

Hirundo rustica has been observed in Taiki, southern Tokachi District since 1972, although this species is rare in other areas in Tokachi. Seven cases of breeding were found during a period between 1972 and 1981. These are the first breeding records of this species from Tokachi District. Young fledged successfully from 5 nests; one nest was destroyed before egg-laying and the other was destroyed before the chiks fledged. Two pairs had second broods. The habitat of the breeding place consists of ranches surrounded with pastures and cultivated fields along the Monbetsu and Nakanokawa rivers. All nests were located on the ceilings of cattle barns. The mean clutch size was 3.8 (3.5 for the first and 4.5 for the second brood). The mean brood size was 3.5 (3.3 for the first and 4.0 for the second brood). Incubation period was 13 to 14 days. Young fledged at 17 to 22 days after hatching.

Natural habitat of Caryophanon latum.

When samples of fresh dung from pigs, horses, sheep, or cattle were enriched to encourage the growth of Caryophanon latum, the organism was found to be specifically associated with cattle dung. Several sheep dung samples were found to be positive for C. latum, but all were taken from a pasture where sheep and cattle were grazed together. All samples taken from sheep not pastured with cattle were negative. Autoclaved samples of cattle, horse, and sheep dung all supported growth and natural morphology of C. latum when inoculated with pure or mixed cultures of this organism. A large proportion of autoclaved cattle dung samples left open to the air of cattle barns or occupied cattle pastures showed the presence of C. latum after 1–4 days exposure. Control samples exposed to air in areas far removed from cattle were uniformly negative. Aseptically collected "free catch" samples from cattle were mainly negative, as were samples collected from the fistulated rumen. Enrichment of various other sources was undertaken. Our total findings support the hypothesis that C. latum is a natural, specific, and temporary resident of cattle dung and is dispersed to new droppings by contaminated air and also probably by flying insects or cattle movement.