Current through Register Vol. 46, No. 12, March 20, 2024
(a) A milking barn,
stable or parlor shall be provided on all dairy farms in which the milking herd
shall be housed during milking time operations. The areas used for milking
purposes shall meet the following requirements:
(1) Floors, feed troughs (and gutters if
present) shall be constructed of good quality concrete or equally impervious
material. Floors shall be constructed so as to be easily cleaned (brushed
surfaces permitted) and shall be graded to drain.
(2) Walls and ceilings are finished with
wood, tile, smooth-surfaced concrete, cement plaster, brick or other equivalent
materials with light-colored surfaces. Walls, partitions, doors, shelves,
windows and ceilings shall be kept in good repair, and surfaces shall be
refinished whenever wear or discoloration is evident. Whenever feed is stored
overhead, ceilings shall be constructed to prevent the sifting of chaff and
dust into the milking barn, stable or parlor. If a hay opening is provided from
the loft into the milking portion of the barn, such opening shall be provided
with a dust-tight door which shall be kept closed during milking
operations.
(3) Separate pens shall
be provided for bulls, horses and calves. These areas shall be separated by
tight partitions from the milking area. Such portion of the barn not so
separated shall comply with all items of this section. In addition, a curbing
shall be provided to separate horses, bulls and calves from the milking area.
The curbing shall effectively eliminate the flow of manure and urine from such
areas.
(4) The milking barn is
provided with sufficient light to insure that all surfaces and particularly the
working areas will be plainly visible. The equivalent of at least 10
foot-candles of light in all working areas shall be provided; notwithstanding
the foregoing, a dairy farm which produces milk for non-Grade A shall be exempt
from the 10 foot-candles requirement of this paragraph.
(5) Air circulation is sufficient to minimize
odors and to prevent condensation upon walls and ceilings.
(6) Overcrowding is not evidenced by the
presence of calves, cows or other barnyard animals in walks or feed alleys.
Inadequate ventilation and excessive odors may also be evidence of an
overcrowded barn.
(7) A dust-tight
partition, provided with doors that are kept closed except when in actual use,
shall separate the milking portion of the barn from any feed room or silo in
which feed is ground or mixed, or in which sweet feed is stored. Feed may be
stored in the milking portion of the barn only in such manner as will not
increase the dust content of the air, attract flies or interfere with cleaning
of the floor (as in covered, dust-tight boxes or bins). Open feed dollies or
carts may be used for distributing the feed, but not storing feed, in the
milking barn.
(b) When
conditions warrant, the commissioner may approve a barn without four walls
extending from floor to roof, or a shed-type barn provided the requirement of
section
2.10
of this Part (Item 3r) prohibiting animals and fowl entering the barn is
satisifed. Cattle-housing areas (stables without stanchions, such as
loose-housing stables, pen stables, resting barns, free-stall barns, holding
barns, loafing sheds, wandering sheds) may be of shed-type construction,
provided no milking is conducted therein. They are classified as part of the
cowyard under section
2.11 of this Part
(Item 4r).
