Tie Stall Dimensions

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Tie Rail or Head Rail A tie rail (sometimes called a head rail) is the pipe used as the attachment for the tie chain. It controls the forward location of a cow while standing in the stall and often acts as the water line. Proper location of the tie rail lets a cow stand straight (parallel to the dividers) with all four feet in the stall and rise or lie without contacting it. The vertical location above the bed is about 0.8 x rump height. It mounts forward of the manger curb and over the manger. Standing in the gutter, diagonal standing or neck injuries are the most obvious signs of incorrect placement of the tie rail or obstructions at the front of the stall. Canarm- BSM Agri (Arthur, ON), Donald Horst & Sons (Elmira, ON), Norwell Dairy Systems, (Drayton, ON) and MSD Stabling (Williamsford, ON) manufacture and sell stabling that allows adjustment of the height and forward location of the tie rail. The tie chain with snap should extend only to the height of the manger curb. Figure 6. A tie rail placed 48 inches above the mattress and 86 inches forward of the gutter curb allows medium size cows (about 58-inch rump height) to stand straight in the stall. While standing idly chewing their cuds, their poll will be at tie-rail height and behind it and most of their head will extend below and forward of the tie rail. Larger cows will stand diagonally in stalls with those measurements. In tie stalls, cleanliness is always a challenge because cows step forward while eating and defecate during the time they are standing forward. Although it has some drawbacks, a front on the manger would keep feed closer to cows and may reduce the reaching-for-feed and stepping-forward seen with sweep-in mangers. An alternative with high tie-rail stalls is to locate the tie rail closer to the manger curb to reduce the frequency of cows stepping forward while eating. Because of the height, there is less need for the rail to be further forward of the manger curb as there is with low tie rails. Wide Opening – Forward or Diagonal Lunge When rising or lying normally, a mature Holstein uses about 10 feet of space measured from her tail to her most forward lunge distance. The forward space must be unobstructed for frontward lunging and bobbing of the head. Short beds or stalls with obstructions in the lunging space lead to diagonal (corner-to-corner) standing, lying and rising. Cows still lunge forward relative to their body direction, but diagonal or sidewise to the stall. Since the top pipe of the divider becomes a restraint when cows lunge through it, it must have a wide opening to permit easy rising or lying, but be low enough to restrict passage through it. From mattress top to the bottom of this pipe is usually 46 inches in many new stalls. The divider also must have a low mount at manger curb height that does not inhibit the ability to lunge over it. The measurement from the top of the mattress to the top of the bottom pipe should be less than 12 inches. Figure 7. In most barns, the divider provides support for milk lines and separation of cows in adjacent stalls. This divider leaves about 30 inches of space for cows to back into an adjacent stall when exiting. The top pipe drops down at the back so a cow can easily swing her head over it. This style is suitable for herds feeding total mixed rations. Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Page 4 Tie Stall Dimensions © January 2007
Manger Curb A manger curb restricts the forward location of a cow lying in the stall, controls the movement of bedding into feed and retains feed in the manger. It defines the forward limit of the bed length measured from the gutter curb. Concrete and wood have been the most common materials used for manger curbs. Because of their height, manger curbs interfere with the normal stride taken during rising. However, some cows stride into the manger and a slippery surface poses a hazard. Figure 8. A cow-friendly manger curb has beveled corners. The curb acts as an obstruction to forward extension of the legs. To get room for this normal behaviour, cows lie diagonally in their stalls with their front legs stretched into the neighboring bed. It is common to build a 10-inch curb height measured from the concrete platform to the top of the curb. This measurement decreases to 8 or less inches on the cow side with the addition of a rubber-filled mattress or ample bedding. Despite the 8-inch height, many cows will extend their legs forward into the manger. Therefore, the curb should have rounded, beveled or smoothed edges. Recently, a plastic brisket locator used in free stalls has been modified for use as a manger curb. A flat manger surface and a wooden curb save construction costs. With this technique, producers attach the board (e.g., 2 x 4 or 2 x 6) to the support posts for the stall dividers. Manger Height The manger surface is 4 inches higher than the level of the cow’s feet. Although this height compromises a cow’s ability to bob her head when lying or rising, it is chosen to maximize foot health of the front feet. In barns with the manger at or below bed height, the odds are greater that cows will have sole ulcers on the inner claws of the front feet. The increased risk is related to changes to weight bearing of the inner claws when a cow spreads her front feet apart (laterally) to lower her body while reaching for feed. The 4-inch manger height minimizes the foot-spreading behaviour and the foot problems. The elevated manger also reduces the frequency of cows kneeling to reach feed. Platform (Bed) – Length, Width and Cushion Bed length should equal imprint length – about 1.2 times rump height. For example, most Lactation 1 heifers have a rump height of 58-59 inches and would need about a 70-inch bed. Mature cows measuring 60 inches at the rump would need a 72-inch bed. For stalls with rubber-filled mattresses, effective bed length is the distance from gutter curb to manger curb. For stalls with bedding keepers and bedding kept below the height of the bedding keeper, effective bed length is measured from the inside of the keeper to the manger curb. If the bedding keeper is kept covered with long straw, then stall length could be measured from the gutter side of the bedding keeper. Figure 9. Stalls with ample width and length allow freedom to rest in normal positions. Because of longer chains, cows are cleaner from self-grooming and they show more visible signs of estrous. The minimum bed length described above will not permit cows to lie straight with their forelegs extended. They will lie diagonally or lie with their rumps over the gutter to attain this normal resting posture. However, stalls are seldom built with longer beds because they pose challenges with stall and cow cleanliness and the risk of mastitis. Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Page 5 Tie Stall Dimensions © January 2007
Page 1 and 2: January 2007 Livestock Technology I
Page 3: When resting in the narrow position
Page 7 and 8: The directions for installation sho

Tie Stall Dimensions

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