Dairy cattle are grouped in larger and larger operations to provide more efficient and economical milk production.
It is a highly organized operation with careful record-keeping, and herd improvement through selective breeding and artificial insemination.
Although dry cows (those not producing milk) are kept in pastures most of the time, the majority of a herd will be housed in a free stall or stanchion system with limited or no access to pasture.
A shed or barn is provided for maternity stalls and calf pens. The urine-and-manure-soaked bedding in these stalls and pens provides an excellent medium for fly breeding.
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| Calf pen with manure under feed bunker where flies may breed. |
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| Calf stalls with wet bedding which may support fly breeding. |
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| Calf hutch with wet bedding which may support fly breeding. |
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There is increased use of calf hutches which are small shelters for each calf placed outdoors. Bedding, manure, and urine in and around these hutches provide ample habitat for fly breeding.
In addition to the calf and maternity barns and the calf hutches, other areas in a free stall dairy housing system are:
1. Loafing area
2. Feed area (with bunkers for hay, silage, and nearby waterers)
3. Milking area
4. Paved or dirt lot
Some provision for a manure storage area is also necessary.
In the stanchion system, cows spend most of their time confined in individual metal neck stanchions in a barn rather than being free to move about.
In a stanchion barn, feed and water are provided in front of each stanchion. A gutter and frequent scraping and/or flushing are used to remove the manure.
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