I have experimented with the curb height and have settled on an 11” height above the tread on the cow side. Swollen hocks and stepped-on teats are nonexistent. Because they are so comfortable, I use very little bedding. I equipped the treads in the BWS barn with thick, cushiony yet durable mattresses called Pasture Mats.Your gutter should be 16″ wide and at least 10″ deep. I recommend a tread length of 5′ to 5′ 4″ for Jerseys. You’re not being kind to your cows by making the treads a little longer than they should be. Tread length, the surface that the cows stand on while they are in their stalls, is also a very important consideration.Since all feeding is done by hand in a micro dairy - or should be - mangers can and should have backstops. Mangers were usually constructed with backstops before motorized feed carts became common. The manger should have an old-fashioned backstop to keep the cows from pushing the feed out of their reach. The stall dividers should extend into the manger to keep the cows from stealing from one another and from getting down on their front knees to stretch for food. It is important to set up the mangers and stalls properly. It is also much easier to control the cows’ feed and reduce waste in a tie barn.From there, I take it to my manure pile for storage and composting.

I dump the manure on a concrete pad outside the barn against a concrete backstop where I scoop it up with my tractor. During the summer, when the cows are outside most of the time, I clean the gutter once per week at the most - if that. Even during the winter, when the cows are inside the barn more than not, cleaning the gutter takes less than ten minutes per day and it is much cheaper than going to a gym for a workout. I clean my gutter by hand with a shovel and wheelbarrow. If the stalls are configured properly, it is much easier to keep the cows clean and control their manure. Tie stalls are not as popular as they once were but I prefer them for cold climates for several reasons.

Small dairy barn design