This document describes cow dimensions, space requirements and stall dimensions for modern Canadian Holstein cows. The concepts shown in Tables 1 and 2 may be used to design stalls for Holstein heifers or other dairy breeds.
Figure 1. Variation in cow size within and between herds highlights the need to measure your cows before choosing stall sizes. Table 1. Body dimensions, example measurements for mature Holsteins, and estimated ratios to rump height and hook-bone width. Figure 2. Several cow measurements taken on standing cows are useful for building free stalls. Other essential measurements are imprint length and imprint width of resting cows. Figure 3. Imprint length extends from the folded foreknee to the tail see arrows when lying in the narrow position.
This length defines the bed length of a stall. Figure 4. Imprint width is the lateral distance from the left hock to the right abdomen - a distance of about 52 inches for this cow. It increases when the rear legs extend outwards or the cow reclines in wide resting positions. Figure 5. While rising freely on pasture, a cow uses the forward, downward and vertical space outlined by the white lines in the photograph.
Table 2. Stall dimensions, estimated relationships to body dimensions and example calculations for mature Holsteins. Figure 6. A neck rail placed 50 inches above the mattress and 70 inches forward of the curb allows this cow to stand straight in the stall with four feet on the bed. Figure 7. The region of the supraspinous bursa of the neck can experience repetitive trauma from a neck rail or strap when a cow stands in a stall, during the motions to lie and during the motions to rise.
Figure 8. To prevent injuries, the producer moved the neck rail to the bottom pipe of the loop to make a brisket rail and installed a nylon neck strap at the location of the former neck rail. Figure 9. A wide loop opening and open-front stalls allow cows to lunge both diagonally and frontward.
While rising, this cow did not contact the neck rail and she took the stride over the low brisket locator. Figure 10 shows loops that are a challenge for cows housed in side-lunging stalls. The lower pipe of the loop is 18 inches above the bed. It is too high for easy side-lunging motions. A gate obstructs forward lunging in the first few stalls.
Figure 11 shows the same loops as in Figure 10 but installed in a new barn. In this installation, cows have space for forward lunging. The back part of the loop is too high and cows have been trapped under it. Figure 12 shows the bed and lunge space in head-to-head free- stalls with an foot platform.
Figure 13 shows the bed and lunge space in wall-facing freestalls with a 9. A foot platform is ideal. Figure A cow resting with her front leg extended over a brisket locator mounted to the platform. A deterrent board discourages cows from exiting forward from the stalls or entering from the alley. While rising, a cow can take a normal stride easily over a 4-inch high brisket locator.
A space of 5 inches between the top of the brisket locator and the bottom pipe of the loop and no bracket are essential design features to avoid entrapment of a leg. A cow-friendly brisket locator has a smoothedsurface and attaches to the stall surface, not the loops. Unique brackets mount a plastic pipe to the floor. This installation meets the requirements for a safe brisket locator. Objects in the space forward of the brisket locator are obstructions to the head lunge and bob, the stride and resting positions for the front legs.
This area may contain some bedding and be slightly higher than the stall bed. The area forward of the brisket locator must be free of obstructions to lunging, bobbing of the head and the stride when rising. A deterrent bar or strap must not interfere with the upward bobbing of the head.
A suggested placement is about 42 inches for Holsteins in foot stalls and about inches in foot stalls. The height varies with stall length. What are the shared characteristics of even-toed ungulates? Shared characteristics of even-toed ungulates include them being mostly herbivores, and having 2 or 4 functional toes. Almost all species of even-toed ungulates have a form of weapon like unbranched horns, forked horns, antlers, well-developed canines or tusks.
They also have grooves at their ankle joints while helps them resist lateral motion. Withers Height:. Uses: Milk, meat beef , leather, gelatin, medical products. Scientific Name:. Related Collections Bovines Bovinae. Bovids Bovidae. Even-Toed Ungulates. Farm Animals. Related Tags Farms. Grassland Biome. Text by. Right Click and 'Save As' to Download. DWG - Imperial Feet. DWG - Metric Meters. Ad Blocker. Enjoy free drawings?
We do too! Advertising helps fund our work. Please support the project by disabling or whitelisting your ad blocker while browsing Dimensions. Bovines Bovinae Animals. Browse the Entire Collection Browse. Young male calves are also killed as a result of dairy production.
People who are vegetarian for ethical reasons but continue to consume dairy might want to think twice when it comes to conventional dairy products. Humans have been using cows for milk for many centuries. While all cow species can produce milk for their young, only a few are used by farmers to produce milk for human consumption.
Today, there are seven primary breeds commonly found in the United States. They are:. To this day, it is a common misconception that cows produce milk throughout their lives. The milk is intended for their infants. In order to produce milk on an ongoing basis, dairy cows are continually impregnated. On factory farms, cows are typically impregnated for the first time when they are around 25 months old using artificial insemination. After giving birth, mothers lactate for about 10 months.
Then they are impregnated again. This cycle continues until cows are around 5 years old. Spent cows are killed and sold as low-grade beef or for other uses. The actual milking process does not appear to cause cows pain, however, this could be due to a lack of scientific exploration or understanding. The conditions dairy cows endure on factory farms can cause pain, ulcers, and even bone fractures. Psychological pain also appears to be prevalent on farms. Mothers have been known to cry for days at a time after their calves are removed from them at birth, a cruel practice that is standard in the industry.
Holstein cattle were initially brought to the U. There was a growing market for milk and a need for cattle, so dairy breeders looked to Holland for animals. Chenery purchased the cow from a Dutch sailing master who had a Holstein on board to provide fresh milk to his crew during the voyage. This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. History of dairy cow breeds: Holstein. Here are a few more fun facts about the Holstein breed: A mature cow weighs about 1, pounds and stands 58 inches tall at her shoulder.
There are more than nine million dairy cows in this country and about 90 percent of them are Holsteins. Holstein calves weigh 80 to pounds when born. Holstein cows take the top awards in milk production.
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