Page:An Encyclopædia of Cottage, Farm, and Villa Architecture and Furniture.djvu/412

 388 COTTAGE, FARM, AND VILLA ARCHITECTURE. small pens, between six and seven feet square ; but this is an unnecessary expense when the object is simply to rear the calf. In general, no arrangement is advisable by which two or more calves are kept loose in the same pen ; because, so placed, they are apt to suck one another, and also because milk or food cannot be given to more than one calf at a time, and the others are liable to be injured while being driven off. As calves require the greatest attention to keep them clean, all the architectural arrangements connected with them ought to be especially directed to that end. The best constructed calf-pens in Middlesex have false bottoms of boards pierced with holes, through which all moisture escapes, by which means they are kept quite dry ; and, by a little care on the part of the attendant, they may also be kept perfectly clean and sweet. 761. Feeding-sheds for horned Cattle may be constructed on the same plan as cow- houses, and the cattle placed in pairs between wooden, stone, or slate partitions. The cattle may either be ranged along the side walls, with a foddering passage at their heads, and a cleaning passage behind (the foddering bay being at one end, or at both ends) ; or they may be ranged across the building, with bays for holding fodder, or serving as passages for supplying it, alternating between every two rows of cattle. A house sixteen feet wide and twenty-eight feet long will contain eight head of average-sized cattle, in a row, with their heads to a foddering passage three feet wide, at one of the side walls ; and with a cleaning passage four feet wide behind them. A liouse tliirty- two feet long and fourteen feet wide will contain the same number of cattle, with their heads towards a foddering bay, and place for giving fodder in the middle of the house, eight feet wide. This last mode of placing the cattle is much more convenient than the other, and though it contains four feet more of circumferential walling, yet, if we make allowance, in the former case, for a building to contain the fodder, the latter will be much the more economical as well as the more convenient mode. 762. Feeding-hotises for loose Cattle. It has been found that many descriptions of cattle, and particularly those bred up in mountainous districts, which are naturally small and active, do not fatten so well when tied up in stalls, as when left loose in a limited space, with a well-littered house or shed to take shelter in at pleasure. This is the general practice in Northumberland, and in most parts of Scotland. The sheds or houses may be fifteen or sixteen feet square, and fitted up with racks, either at the angles or against the partitions. The open yards may be of the same size as the covered sheds, with walls four feet higli, and doors lifting out of grooves ; or iji two parts, with the upper half hinged, and the lower jiaii. fitted in a groove, so as to lift out. The reason why it is proposed to fit the doors in grooves, or to have them in two parts with the lower part grooved, is, that, in opening doors hinged in the common manner, they are apt to be obstructed by the litter which generally, though improperly, covers every farm-yard passage. In some Scotch farmeries, not only the doors of hammels and pigsties lift out of grooves, but even the gates lift out in a similar manner, or are suspended by weiglits with cords and pulleys, and are raised up and lowered like common sash windows. All this is owing to the practice of keeping yards covered with litter ; but, when the management of cattle; and manure is properly understood, the former will always be kept in houses or hammels, in order to moderate temperature ; and dung and litter always under a roof, in order to lessen evaporation. 763. Feeding-places for growing Cattle arc nothing more than open sheds fitted u> with racks, each having a court or yard of proportionate size to the shed ; that is, containing three or four times its area. In general it is desir.iblc to divide these yards or sheds, so that not more than six or eight head of cattle may be together in the same yard. Besides the rack in the shed, there ought to be fixed or jjortablc racks, with roofs to them, in the open yard. All cattle-racks ought to be placed on the ground : their height need not exceed two feet and a half, and their width eighteen inches. The top should have cross bars eighteen inches apart, to prevent the cattle from tossing out the fodder, and the bottom should be grated, to allow reeds, stones, dust, or other matter to drop through on the ground. 764'. Houses for working Oxen may either be fitted up like the cow-houses, or, wliat is preferable, like the cattle hammels ; a pair of oxen being allowed for each hannne). Whether oxen arc kept loose in hannnels or tied up in stalls, provision ought to be made under cover, and near them, for hanging up their liarness ; and for keeping the curry- combs and other instruments or utensils with which they are cleaned or fed. As it requires two pair of oxen to do the work of one pair of horses, on a farm where the ox is the principal beast of labour, a proportionate increase of building is required ; and, in general, also an additional labourer for every three or four pair, for the purpose of cleaning them, and their stalls, liarness, &c. 765. Piggeries. The swine is an inliabitant of all climates, and cats every kind of food ; but lie is nevertheless averse from extremes of either cold or lieat. Nature has taught him, in a wild state, in the torrid as well as in the frigid zone, to seek the recesses