Instructions
Decide if you want open front stalls or closed front stalls. The advantage of closed front stalls is that the cattle are fully contained. There is less risk of them getting loose. The advantage to open front stalls is that your cow can use the space that would normally be used for the stall door as lunge space. Lunge space is the amount of room your cow needs when she lunges from a laying to a standing position.
Determine how your free stalls will have to be. The size of your free stalls is determined by your average cow's body mass. She has to have enough room to lay down comfortably. If the average size of your cattle is 120 pounds, you will need to design a free stall that is 64 inches wide and has 17 inches of head space. It should also have 14 inches of lunge space. A 1200 pound cow stall will have to be 6.7 to 7.2 feet long. If it is opened in front, you will have to add an extra foot of length to accommodate a door if you are building closed front stalls. If your cows are large, your stalls will have to be considerably larger.
Install a brisket locater. You brisket locater is a board that will determine the length of your free stall. When your cow is laying down, the brisket locater will force her tail over the manure curb and help keep your bedding clean. The top of your brisket locater should only extend 4 inches above your bedding. Your cow should be able to clear the brisket locater when she stands up.
Create a neck rail. The neck rail should be at the front of your stall. You want to place your neck rail above the brisket locater. It should be 48 to 50 inches above the top of your stall base. There should be 40 inches of empty space between your brisket locater and the neck rail. The neck rail should be made out of study lumber that won’t crack or break if your cow pulls on her neck chain. Attach a sturdy steel ring to your neck rail so that you will have someplace to fasten your cow’s neck chain.
Create a base for your cow stalls. Your free stalls need to be built up high enough that the manure and other liquids drain down and away from the cow. The best bases are made out clay. A layer of sand should be placed on top of the clay. Some farmers like to cover the sand with straw while others prefer sawdust.
Build a manure curb. A manure curb is what prevents the manure and liquids from soaking your stall base. The trick to building a manure curb is to make it high enough that the manure doesn’t soak your stall base. It should be low enough that your cows are able to easily entire the stall. The rule of thumb is that your manure curb should be about ten inches tall. When the cows are standing in their stall, the tails should hang over the manure curb.
When your cow is tied in the free stall, make sure that their neck chain is long enough that they can lay down and mover their head freely, but it shouldn’t be so long that they are able to get their feet tangled in the chain loops.
How to Build a Cow Barn
Anyone that is interested in raising cattle should plan on having a cow barn. Your cattle don’t have to be kept in the barn often, but the barn will provide you with a place to keep your cattle if the weather becomes particularly brutal. It's a place of shelter if one of your heard needs some extra medical attention. The best cow barns are free stall barns. Free stalls are stalls that don’t have side walls.