Loose-Housing System

a method of maintaining cattle in barnyards without tethers and fenced-off stalls. The herd is divided into groups of 60 or more cows and distributed in sections of the cattle yard. Groups of younger animals are selected according to sex and age, and adult animals are selected on the basis of productivity and physiological condition. The cattle are kept in deep bedding and on slotted floors. The animals of each section have free passage into the pasture and feeding yard and free access to hay and group drinking bowls. The cows are milked in special milking parlors. Under the loose-housing system, productivity of labor is increased, and it is possible to accommodate 20–30 percent more cattle on the same area than when the cattle are tethered. The outlay of feed is somewhat greater.