UNIVERSITY OF 
 ILLINOIS 
 ' 
 
 AGMCULTUP 
 
WON CIRCULATING 
 
 CHECK FOR UNBOUND 
 CIRCULATING COPY 
 
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS 
 
 Agricultural Experiment Station 
 
 BULLETIN NO. 143 
 
 ECONOMY OF THE ROUND 
 DAIRY BARN 
 
 BY WIL,BER J. FRASEK 
 
 URBANA, ILLINOIS, FEBRUARY, 1910 
 
SUMMARY OF BULLETIN No. 143 
 
 1. Round barns v, onld be more generally built if their advantages were 
 known and if the few which have been erected had been rightly constructed. 
 
 Page i. 
 
 2. The round dairy barn offers greater convenience in storing, handling and 
 distributing the feed. Page 5. 
 
 3. In the circular construction, much greater strength is secured with less 
 lumber. Page 6. 
 
 4. The material for rectangular barns costs from 34 to 58 percent mot^ 
 than for round barns of the same area and capacity. . Page 7. 
 
 5. Round and rectangular barns compared. Page n. 
 
 6. Round and rectangular barns, including silos, compared. Page 13. 
 
 7. Detailed account, with illustrations showing how the round barn at' the 
 University was built. Page 17 
 
 8. Itemized statement of cost of a 6o-foot round barn. Page 29. 
 
 9. Brief descriptions with illustrations and plans of several round dairv 
 barns in actual use. Page 31. 
 
 TO. Conclusions. The advantages of the round dairy barn are convenience, 
 strength and cheapness. Page 44. 
 
UNIVERSITY OF 
 
 EOONOMY OF THE KOUND DAIRY BARN 
 
 SPECIFICATIONS AND DETAILED COST AND CONSTRUCTION OF 
 THE NEW SIXTY-FOOT CIRCULAR DAIRY BARN AT THE UNI- 
 VERSITY. SAVING OF ROUND OVER RECTANGULAR 
 BARNS. NOTES ON SEVERAL ROUND BARNS 
 ON DAIRY FARMS.* 
 
 BY W. J. FRASER, CHIEF IN DAIRY HUSBANDRY 
 
 The planning, construction, and arrangement of farm buildings do not 
 usually receive the thought and study these subjects warrant. How many 
 dairymen have compared a circular, 40-cow barn with the common rec- 
 tangular building containing the same area? How many understand that 
 the circular structure is much the stronger; that the rectangular form re- 
 quires 22 percent more wall and foundation to enclose the same space; and 
 that the cost of material is from 34 to 58 percent more for the rectangular 
 building? 
 
 In a community in which everyone is engaged in the same oc- 
 cupation, one person is likely to copy from his neighbor without 
 apparently giving a thought as to whether or not there is a bet- 
 ter way. 
 
 In a district of Kane county, Illinois, a certain type of dairy 
 barn is used by nearly everyone, while in the next county a dis- 
 tinctly different type prevails, and the dairy barns of another ad- 
 jacent county differ from those of either of the former, simply 
 because the early settlers of this particular locality came from an 
 eastern state and started building the style of barn then common 
 in Pennsylvania. 
 
 In a certain community in Ohio where a milk condensing fac- 
 tory is located, a large number of farmers have barns 36x60 feet, 
 with an "L" the same size. The loft of the "L" is used for the 
 storage of straw, and the cows run ioose in the lower portion. 
 These barns are all built on practically the same plan and are usu- 
 ally of the same size, and this is the only community known to the 
 writer where this form of barn is used in this manner. 
 
 This tendency to imitate emphasizes the fact that men do not 
 exercise sufficient originality. Because most barns are rectangular 
 is no reason that this is the best and most economical form. 
 
 *Special acknowledgment is made to Mr. H. E. Crouch and Mr. R. E. Brand for their 
 assistance in working out the detailed data which are the bases for i he economic comparn 
 of the round and rectangular barns made in this bulletin. 
 
BULLETIN No. 143 
 
 WHY MORE ROUND BARNS ARE NOT BUILT 
 
 [February, 
 
 In an early day when lumber was cheap, buildings were built 
 of logs, or at least had heavy frames. Under these conditions, the 
 rectangular barn was the one naturally used, and people have fol- 
 lowed in the footsteps of their forefathers in continuing this form 
 of barn. The result is that the economy and advantages of the 
 round barn have apparently never been considered. This is be- 
 cause they are not obvious at first sight, and become fully appar- 
 ent only after a detailed study of the construction. For these rea- 
 sons, the rectangular form still continues to be built, altho it re- 
 
 an tin n n no n n n rm rml 
 
 wH^ 
 
 FIG. l. BARN No. 5. 100 FEET IN DIAMETER, SCALE 20 FEET TO ONE INCH; SHOWING 
 
 INCREASED MOW CAPACITY GIVEN BY SELF-SUPPORTING ROOF. 
 
igio] ECONOMY OF THE ROUND DAIRY BARN 3 
 
 quires much more lumber. As the price of lumber has advanced so 
 materially in recent years, the possible saving in this material is a 
 large item, and well worth investigating. 
 
 The objections to round barns have usually been made by those 
 who have only a superficial knowledge of the subject, and do not 
 really understand the relative merits of the two forms. To the 
 writer's knowledge, there has never been published a carefully fig- 
 ured out, detailed comparison of a properly constructed circular 
 barn with the rectangular barn. 
 
 The difficulty with most round barns that have been built, thus 
 far, is that they do not have a self-supporting roof, and conse- 
 quently lose many of the advantages of a properly constructed 
 round barn. This is the principal reason why round barns have 
 not become more popular. A straight roof necessarily requires 
 many supports in the barn below. These are both costly and in- 
 convenient, and make the roof no stronger than a dome-shaped, 
 self-supporting roof which nearly doubles the capacity of the mow. 
 See Fig. (i). 
 
 Many who have thus disregarded capacity have also wasted 
 lumber and made a needless amount of work by chopping or hew- 
 ing out the sill and plate, thus requiring more labor and lumber, 
 besides sacrificing the greater strength of a built-up sill. Rightly 
 constructed round barns are, however, being built to a limited ex- 
 tent. One contractor has erected twenty-four round barns, with 
 self supporting roofs, in the last nine years. These barns vary in 
 size from 40 feet in diameter with i8-foot posts to 102 feet in 
 diameter with 3O-foot posts. 
 
 Another reason for the scarcity of round barns is the difficulty 
 in getting them built. Most carpenters hesitate to undertake the 
 work because in the erection of a round barn the construction 
 should be entirely different from that of the rectangular form. 
 Many new problems present themselves, but when these are once 
 understood, the round barn offers no more difficulties in construc- 
 tion than the rectangular form. It is, however, important to have 
 a head carpenter who is accustomed to putting up round barns, as 
 a man with ingenuity and experience can take advantage of many 
 opportunities to save labor and material. 
 
 KIND OF BARN NEEDED 
 
 The first thing to consider in the erection of a barn is a con- 
 venient arrangement for the purpose for which it is to be used. 
 At the University of Illinois, two years ago, a twenty-acre demon- 
 stration dairy farm was started, the sole object being to produce 
 the largest amount of milk per acre at the least possible cost. To 
 
BULLETIN No. 143 
 
 [February, 
 
 meet the requirements of a barn for this purpose, it became im- 
 perative to build one that was convenient for feeding- and caring 
 for the cows, economical of construction, and containing a large 
 storage capacity in both silo and mow. These are the requirements 
 of a barn for every practical dairyman. 
 
 A silo was needed that could be fed from the year round. With 
 the small number of cows- kept, a deep enough layer of silage could 
 not be fed off each day to keep it good thru the summer, if the 
 silo was more than 12 feet in diameter. As this small diameter 
 was a necessity, it would require two silos 33 feet, deep to supply 
 enough silage. Two silos of such small diameter would not only 
 be costly, but difficult to make stand, unless built of concrete. This 
 difficulty was overcome by using the circular barn and placing in 
 the center a silo which is 12 feet in diameter and 54 feet deep, thus 
 
 FIG. 2. FILLING THE SILO. 
 
 making the one silo, with as much capacity as the two before men- 
 tioned, answer every purpose. This deep silo is an important part 
 of the round barn, as it not only forms a support for the roof, but 
 is protected by the barn, thus saving the cost of siding. Then, 
 too, besides occupying the space least valuable for other purposes, 
 it being 1 centrally located, is in the most convenient place for feed- 
 ing. The silage chute being open at the top forms a suction of air, 
 which keeps the silage odor from the barn at milking- time, and 
 also assists in ventilation when the door to the chute is open. 
 
lu'UXu.MV UK lilt. KOLM) U.UKY 1'iAk.N 
 
 ADVANTAGES OF THE ROUND BARN 
 
 The points of superiority that the round dairy barn shows over the rec- 
 tangular form are convenience, strength, and cheapness. 
 
 ROUND BARN MOST CONVENIENT 
 
 Considering that the barn on a dairy farm is used twice every 
 clay in the year, and that for six months each year the cows oc- 
 cupy it almost continuously, and that during this time a large 
 amount of the labor of the farm is done inside the barn, it is evi- 
 dent that the question of its convenience is a vital one. The 
 
 ^SJU 
 
 FIG. 3. INTERIOR OF BARN, SECOND FLOOR, SHOWING SILO AND LOCATION 
 OF ENSILAGE CUTTER. (TEAM UNHITCHED TO SHOW CUTTER.) 
 
 amount of time and strength wasted in useless labor in poorly ar- 
 ranged buildings is appalling. People do not stop to consider the 
 saving in a year or a lifetime by having the barn so conveniently 
 arranged that there is a saving of only a few seconds on each task 
 that has to be done two or three times every day. 
 
 The round barn has a special advantage in the work of distrib- 
 uting silage to the cows. The feeding commences at the chute 
 where it is thrown down, and is continued around the circle, end- 
 ing with the silage cart at the chute again, ready for the next feed- 
 ing. The same thing is true in feeding hay and grain. 
 
BULLETIN No. 143 
 
 [February. 
 
 Still another great advantage is the large unobstructed hay 
 mow. With the self-supporting roof, there are no timbers what- 
 ever obstructing the mow, which means no dragging of hay around 
 posts or over girders. The hay carrier runs on a circular track 
 around the mow, midway bet wen the silo and the outside wall, 
 and drops the hay at any desired point, thus in no case does the 
 hay have to be moved. but a few feet, which means a saving of 
 much labor in the mowing. 
 
 To successfully embody all of the above discussed advantages 
 in a dairy barn is one of the large problems in milk production. 
 In a careful study of the barn question it soon became apparent 
 that it was impossible to embody all of the requirements advan- 
 tageously in anything but a circular form of building, and the 60- 
 foot round barn, which is here described, was built. 
 
 FIG. 4. SOUTH VIEW, SHOWING WELL LIGHTED STABLK. 
 
 CIRCULAR CONSTRUCTION THE STRONGEST 
 
 The circular construction is the strongest, because it lakes ad- 
 vantage of the lineal, instead of the breaking strength of the lum- 
 ber. Each row of boards running around the barn forms a hoop 
 that holds the barn together A barrel, properly hooped and 
 headed, is almost indestructible, and much stronger than a box, 
 altho the hoops are small. This strength is because the stress 
 comes on the hoops in a lineal direction. Any piece of timber is 
 many times stronger on a lineal pull than on a breaking stress. 
 Take for example a No. I yellow pine 2x6, 16 feet long, with an 
 
ECONOMY OK THE ROUND DAIRY BARN 
 
 actual cross section of 1^x5^ inches. If placed on edge and 
 supported at the ends, as a joist, the limit of safety for a load" 
 evenly distributed is 642 pounds, while the limit of safety for a 
 load in the lineal direction of the same piece of timber is 12,800 
 pounds, or twenty times as great. 
 
 All exposed surfaces of a round barn are circular, as both the 
 sides and roof are arched, which is the strongest form of construc- 
 tion to resist wind pressure; besides, the wind, in striking it, 
 glances off and can get no direct hold on 'the walls or roof, as it 
 can on the flat sides or gable ends of a rectangular structure. If 
 
 FIG. 5. IN cow STABLE, SHOWING siix> AND FEED Aij y EY IN CENTER OF 
 BARN; STANCHIONS ON RIGHT, MII,K SCALES AND RECORD SHEET ON I,EFT. 
 
 the lumber is properly placed in a round barn, much of it will per- 
 form two or more functions. Every row of siding boards running 
 around the building serves also as a brace, and the same is true of 
 the roof boards and the arched rafters. If the siding is put on 
 vertically and the roof built dome shaped, no scaffolding is required 
 inside or out. These are points of economy in the round con- 
 struction. 
 
 RECTANGULAR BARNS REQUIRE 34 TO 58 PERCENT MORE 
 
 MATERIAL 
 
 In order to compare the amount and cost of material in round 
 and rectangular barns, the following figures have been carefully 
 worked out by an expert barn builder. Two comparisons, based 
 
BULLETIN No. 143 
 
 [February, 
 
 on wood construction thruout, are 
 made, in which round barns 60 
 feet and 90 feet in diameter are 
 compared with both plank and 
 mortise frame rectangular barns 
 containing the same number of 
 square feet of floor space, re- 
 spectively. Since the most prac- 
 tical width of a rectangular dairy 
 barn is 36 feet, its length will de- 
 pend upon the number of square 
 feet required in the barn. 
 
 Figures 6 to 9 are side and 
 end views, showing the detail 
 construction and size of the tim- 
 bers of the plank frame and mor- 
 
 6. SHOWING CONSTRUCTION OK tise frame barns here figured- 
 MORTISE FRAME BARN, END VIEW. The detailed figures of the lum- 
 ber bills for each of these barns 
 were carefully worked out, but 
 
 are too voluminous for publication here. The total number of feet 
 of each kind of lumber required is given in Tables lA and iB. 
 Since the proportion of the different kinds of lumber and shingles 
 varied for the different barns, to draw an exact comparison it was 
 
 
 fe : 
 
 FIG. 1, SHOWING CONSTRUCTION OF PL.ANK FRAME BARN, SIDE VIEW. 
 
igio] 
 
 ECONOMY OF THE ROUND DAIRY BARN 
 
 necessary to base it upon the 
 money value, and for this purpose 
 the total cost of lumber has been 
 figured in each case. The lumber 
 values used thruout are the best 
 average prices that could be ob- 
 tained. As the same prices are 
 used for the material of all the 
 barns, the comparisons of cost are 
 correct, altho these exact prices 
 will not hold for all localities and 
 all times. 
 
 Since a silo cannot be 
 economically built inside of a 
 rectangular barn, the first com- 
 parison is made with the barns 
 simply enclosed, altho one of the 
 chief advantages of a round barn 
 is the deep silo which it is pos- 
 sible to build so economically in the center. 
 
 Another item of economy in the circular barn is less framing 
 lumber. This form has the strongest possible construction with 
 the least lumber in the frame, and the least bracing, not a single 
 
 [T-OW- 
 
 FIG. 8. SHOWING CONSTRUCTION OK 
 P^ANK FRAME BARN, END VIEW. 
 
 
 
 
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 Fio. 9. SHOWING CONSTRUCTION OF MORTISE FRAME BARN, SIDE VIEW. 
 
10 
 
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lyio] ECONOMY OF THE ROUND DAIRY BARN 11 
 
 timber larger than a 2x6 being required above the sill. The arched 
 circular roof requires no supports, and no scaffolding is needed 
 inside during its construction. 
 
 The accompanying tables show the comparative amount and 
 value of lumber and cubical content in round barns 60 and 90 feet 
 in diameter, and rectangular barns of equal area and height of posts. 
 
 ROUND AND RECTANGULAR BARNS COMPARED 
 
 In comparing the 6o-foot round barn with a rectangular barn 
 of the same area, the two barns should afford the cows the same 
 amount of space on the platform. Allowing each cow in the 60- 
 foot round barn 3 feet 6 inches in width at the rear of the plat- 
 form, it will accommodate 40 cows and leave space for two passage 
 ways. But in a rectangular barn, only 3 feet 4 inches of platform 
 space need be allowed for each cow, and the 78^/2 foot barn, with 
 two 3-foot passage ways across it for convenience in feeding, will 
 accommodate 42 cows. While the rectangular barn has stall room 
 for two more cows, the round barn contains space in the center for 
 a silo 1 8 feet in diameter. 
 
 The floor space and cubical content of the round barn 60 feet 
 in diameter, and the rectangular barn compared with it in these 
 tables, are practically the same, and the barns are therefore di- 
 rectly comparable. This being true, the percentages which were 
 figured from the complete bills of material for these barns show 
 the exact saving in lumber on the 6o-foot round barn over the 
 plank and mortise frame rectangular barns 36x781/2 feet. The 
 lumber bills of the rectangular barns show an increase in cost of 
 28 percent for the plank frame and 54 percent for the mortise 
 frame. The round barn, 60 feet in diameter, contains i88*/>, and 
 the rectangular barn 225 lineal feet of wall. The rectangular barn 
 has, therefore, 22 percent more lineal feet of outside barn wall, 
 requiring a proportional increase in both paint and foundation. 
 
 The 1 76^4 -foot rectangular barn would hold 100 cows, allow- 
 ing each cow 3 feet 4 inches in width and providing for 3 passage 
 ways of 3 feet each across the barn. 
 
 The go-foot round barn would hold 100 cows iii two rows 
 headed together, 65 of which would be in the outer circle, and have 
 3 feet 6 inches each in width at the gutter. This leaves sufficient 
 room for feed alleys and walks, and two passage ways, one three 
 feet and the other seven feet wide for the manure and feed car- 
 riers. All of this is outside of a central space for a silo 20 feet 
 in diameter and 71 feet high, with a capacity for 620 tons of sil- 
 age, and in the mow there would still be an excess, above the ca- 
 pacity of the rectangular barn, of 33,000 cubic feet, which would 
 
12 
 
 BULLETIN No. 143 
 
 [February, 
 
 
 
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1910] ECONOMY OF THE ROUND DAIRY BARN 13 
 
 hold 66 tons of hay, or as much as the entire mow of a barn 32x36 
 feet with 2o-foot posts. 
 
 The square feet of floor space in the round barn 90 feet in di- 
 ameter and rectangular barn 36x176% feet are the same, but the 
 cubical content of the former is more than that of the latter. The 
 increase in the lumber bill is 23 percent in the plank frame and 53 
 percent in the mortise frame barn. The round barn 90 feet in 
 diameter contains 283 and the rectangular barn 426 lineal feet of 
 wall. The rectangular barn has, therefore, 50 percent more lineal 
 feet of outside barn wall, requiring a proportional increase in both 
 paint and foundation. 
 
 The smaller surface on the outside wall of the round barn re- 
 quires less paint and makes a proportional saving in keeping the 
 round barn painted in after years. 
 
 ROUND AND RECTANGULAR BARNS, Including Silos, COMPARED 
 
 Owing to the fact that a silo is a necessity for the most eco- 
 nomical production of milk, a barn is not complete for a dairyman's 
 purpose unless it includes a silo with capacity to store sufficient 
 silage for the herd. In the case of the round barn, the silo is most 
 economically built inside, but in the rectangular form would cause 
 a waste of space, and for that reason is best erected outside. There- 
 fore, in comparing a round dairy barn with a rectangular dairy 
 barn, silos should be included. 
 
 In figuring the cost of materials in the silos for the round and 
 rectangular barns, the capacity needed in each case was determined 
 in the following manner : Allowing 40 pounds of silage per cow 
 per day for 7 winter months and 25 pounds per cow per day for 
 3 months during the summer, would require for 40 cows 
 220 tons ; then allowing one-eighth for waste would make the sil- 
 age requirement 248 tons. As the silo in the round barn 60 feet 
 in diameter is 53 feet deep, it would need to be only 16 feet in di- 
 ameter to hold 250 tons. This diameter is sufficiently small to al- 
 low summer feeding without waste. To erect a silo outside of a 
 barn, with sufficient stability to stand well, the height above ground 
 should not be much more than twice the diameter, and in order to 
 avoid waste for summer feeding, the diameter should not be 
 greater than 16 feet for a herd of 40 cows. In order that a deep 
 enough layer of silage can be fed off each day during the summer 
 to avoid waste, it is evident that to store 250 tons of silage outside 
 the barn, two silos would be required. One of these should be 16 
 feet in diameter and 36 feet deep, holding 154 tons, and the other 
 13 feet in diameter and 36 feet deep, holding 102 tons, making a 
 total silo capacity of 256 tons. 
 
14 
 
 BULLETIN No. 143 
 
 [February, 
 
 As the large barns hold 100 cows, the same allowance of silage 
 per cow for the season would require silo capacity for 620 tons. 
 As the silo in the round barn 90 feet in diameter would be 71 feet 
 deep, it would need to be only 20 feet in diameter to hold 620 tons. 
 To store 620 tons of silage in silos built outside the rectangular 
 barn would require two. silos, each 20 feet in diameter and 44 feet 
 deep.* These are the sizes on which the figures for cost of silos 
 of the Curler type, given in Tables 2A and 26, were used. 
 
 PIG. 10. INTERIOR OF cow STABLE, SHOWING WATER TROUGH WITH FLOAT 
 
 VAI.VE, SALT BOX, AND DOOR INTO DAIRY. 
 
 The table (page 12) is the final summing up of the cost of all 
 the material for the completed dairy barns, with silos, and shows a 
 saving of from 34 to 58 percent in favor of the round barn and 
 silo, or an actual money saving in this case of from $379 to $1184, 
 depending upon the size and construction of the barns. 
 
 Thoughtlessly, men go on building rectangular barns, but what 
 would this reckless disregard of a possible saving of 34 to 58 per- 
 cent mean in a year's business on the farm? Some illustrations 
 may help us to understand what this money saved in building a 
 round barn really amounts to, and its convenience is also a great 
 saving. If the dairyman discarded the idea of a rectangular barn 
 
 *Since the deeper the silo the more firmly the silage packs, one silo 71 feet deep will hold 
 as much as two silos of the same diameter and 44 feet deep. 
 
igioj 
 
 ECONOMY OF THE ROUND DAIRY BARN 
 
 15 
 
 and built a round barn instead, he could take the money thus saved 
 and buy one of the best pure-bred sires for his herd, and also three 
 to ten pure-bred heifers or fine grade cows. Either of these pur- 
 chases might double the profit of the herd. Or, this saving, prop- 
 erly applied, would purchase many labor-saving devices which 
 would make life less of a drudgery on many dairy farms. Is not 
 such a saving worth while ? 
 
 When the comparative cost and merit of two constructions are 
 known, it is a poor financier who will pay extra for the one which 
 
 FlG. 11. COW COMFORT IN A ROUND BARN. 
 
 is inferior. If a man received bids from contractors for a build- 
 ing, he would be a foolish man who would accept one which is 
 from 34 to 58 percent higher than the lowest bidder, especially 
 when he knew the lowest bidder would put up the most convenient 
 and substantial building. 
 
 DISADVANTAGES OF THE ROUND DAIRY BARN 
 
 The disadvantages of the round dairy barn are, that it cannot 
 be enlarged by building on as readily as can the rectangular form, 
 but as the round barn may be built higher to the eaves than a rec- 
 tangular barn 36 feet wide, provision can be made for the growth 
 of the herd by building so as to put cows in the second story and 
 still leave sufficient mow room for hay. 
 
16 
 
 BULLETIN No. 143 
 
 [February, 
 
 The objection is frequently raised that a round barn is difficult 
 to light. This difficulty is entirely overcome in a barn 90 feet or 
 less in diameter, if a sufficient number of properly spaced windows 
 are used. See Figs. 4 and 30. With the same number of win- 
 dows, the light is more evenly distributed in a round barn and the 
 sun can shine directly into some portion at all hours of the day 
 during the winter. 
 
 The objection has been raised that rectangular objects cannot 
 be placed in a circle without a waste of space, but this does not 
 apply to a dairy barn, as the storage of hay and grain depends upon 
 cubical content, alone, and silos should always be circular, no mat- 
 ter where built. Cows, when lying down, are decidedly wedge- 
 
 FlG. 12. FlRST STORY WAI.lv, AND FOUNDATION FOR SII,O, FEED AL.L.EY, AND 
 MANGER; SILL, IN PIPAGE, READY FOR JOISTS AND STUDS. 
 
 shaped, requiring much less space in front than behind. The ob- 
 jection may be raised, with round barns large enough for two rows 
 of cows, that the row headed out does not use the space as eco- 
 nomically as in the rectangular form, because a cow needs more 
 width at the rear of the platform than at the manger. Where 
 there are two rows of cows, the inner row is usually headed out, 
 and as only about one-third of the cows are in this row, this loss 
 of space is counterbalanced by the large number of cows in the 
 outer circle using the space more economically than they do in the 
 rectangular barn. 
 
 Box stalls cannot be as conveniently arranged, but in a one-row 
 barn, gates hung on the outside and swung around to the manger, 
 form stalls for cows at freshening time, and in a barn with two 
 rows, box stalls can be arranged in the inner circle. 
 
I 9 io] 
 
 ECONOMY OF THE ROUND DAIRY BARN 
 
 17 
 
 HOW THE ROUND BARN AT THE UNIVERSITY WAS 
 
 BUILT 
 
 The barn is located on the side of a hill, sloping gently to the 
 south and east. With this location, it was an advantage to ex- 
 cavate S f ee t deep on the northwest and run out to the surface of 
 the ground on the southeast. 
 
 The footing for the foundation is 18 inches wide. A ten-inch 
 hrick wall was carried up nine feet above the stable floor. This 
 wall contains a 2-inch air space to prevent moisture from condens- 
 ing on the inner wall and making the barn damp. This is an im- 
 
 FIG. lo. SHOWING TEMPORARY BRACING TO HOI,D STUDS IN PI<ACE WH*IE 
 
 SHIP I,AP CEILING IS NAILED ON. 
 
 portant point, as barns with a solid stone or brick wall are very 
 objectionable on account of dampness. It has been proven by two 
 years' use that this difficulty is entirely obviated by the air space 
 in the wall. 
 
 The foundation for the manger and feed alley is built up 2 feet 
 above the stable floor. The foundation for the silo extends 4 feet 
 below the stable floor and is continued 9 inches above the floor in 
 the feed alley. This silo wall, together with the foundation under 
 the manger, forms the foundation for the center supports of the 
 barn. Fig. 12 sRows the foundation completed. 
 
18 
 
 BULLETIN No. 143 
 
 [February, 
 
 The silo, which is the Gurler type, was then started and carried 
 up with the barn. It was built by placing 2x4 studs around the 
 circle, one foot on centers, and ceiling inside with ^x6-inch lum- 
 ber. This ^-inch lumber was obtained by re-sawing 1x6 yellow 
 pine fencing. Common lath were then put on horizontally in the 
 regular way inside, without furring out, and plastered with rich 
 cement plaster. 
 
 The sill of the barn is 6x6, made up of ix6s, and built on top 
 of the wall. Building it up in this manner makes a stronger sill 
 than can be obtained in any other way, as it forms a continuous 
 hoop around the barn. 
 
 FIG. 14. SHOWING HEIGHT AND CONSTRUCTION OF SILO, SIDING COMPLETED, 
 AND FOUR MAIN RAFTERS IN PLACE. 
 
 The joists are 2x1 2s notched 6 inches to fit the sill, so that the 
 outer ends rest on both the sill and the brick wall. The outer span 
 of joists is 14 feet and the inner ends of these joists rest on a 
 similar sill built of ix6s on top of the 4x4 supports at the stanch- 
 ions. The inner span of joists, between the stanchions and the 
 silo, is 8 feet, the outer end resting- on the sill over the 
 stanchions, and the inner end on a i^x6-inch band, made up 
 
I9io] 
 
 ECONOMY OF THE ROUND DAIRY BARN 
 
 19 
 
 of three ^x6-inch pieces, running around the outside of the silo. 
 These joists are placed 2^/3 feet apart at the outside of the barn, 
 and half as many joists are used in the inner span, making the 
 joists at the silo one foot apart. The number of joists under the 
 driveways are doubled, being only i foot and 3 inches apart at the 
 outside of the barn. 
 
 The studs, which are 2x6s, 20 feet long, were then placed on the 
 sill, about 2 feet 6 inches apart, being as evenly spaced between 
 the windows as possible, and temporarily braced, as shown in Fig. 
 13, until the 8-inch ship lap ceiling could be nailed on the outside. 
 This was carried up 5 feet to the second scaffold, and then covered 
 
 FIG. 15. SHOWING AU, RAFTERS IN PLACE AND METHOD OF SHEATHING ROOF. 
 
 to this height with shingles laid 5 inches to the weather. The 
 scaffolding was then moved up and this process repeated until the 
 siding was completed. The plate, made up of five 1x43, was then 
 built in the notch in the top of the studs shown fn Fig. 13. 
 
 The silo was completed, as before described. The rafters, 
 which were framed on the ground, were then erected, as shown in 
 Fig. 14, the first eight going to the center of the roof, and the 
 
20 
 
 BULLETIN No. 143 
 
 [February, 
 
 FIG. 16. SHOWING HEIGHT OF siix), CAPACITY OF BARN, AND CONSTRUCTION 
 
 OF ROOF. 
 
igio] 
 
 ECONOMY OF THE ROUND DAIRY BARN 
 
 21 
 
 remaining" ones were cut to rest on the plate of the silo. There* are 
 64 framed rafters, and these are the only ones in the upper section 
 of the roof. At the break in the roof, a header is cut in between 
 the framed rafters, and in the lower section a rafter is placed be- 
 tween these, thus making twice as many rafters in the lower sec- 
 tion of the roof as in the upper section. After the rafters were all 
 in place and temporarily braced, the ix2-inch sheathing was put 
 on, as shown in Fig 1 15, and the shingles, which were the best 5/2 
 
 FIG. 17. SHOWING ARRANGEMENT ov JOISTS AND HOW THK FLOOR is LAID. 
 
 red cedar, were laid 5 inches to the weather on the lower section 
 of the roof, and 4 inches to the weather on the upper section, as 
 this had less pitch. No chalk line was necessary, as the shingles 
 were laid by the sheathing. 
 
 The floor was made of 1x8 ship lap, laid in four directions, as 
 shown in Fig 1 . 17. In the driveway an extra layer of ship lap was 
 used, making this portion of the floor 2 inches thick. 
 
22 
 
 BULLETIN No. 143 
 
 [February, 
 
 The doorways in the second story are 14 feet wide, and in the 
 lower story 12 feet. These openings are closed by t\vo sliding 
 doors, each door being made of two sections, hinged together so 
 as to follow the circular wall of the barn in opening. 
 
 The co\v stable is on the ground floor, and well lighted by 16 
 windows having twelve 9x12 lights each. There are also six win- 
 dows in the doors. The windows are placed just below the ceiling 
 and admit an abundance of sunshine at all times of the day, which 
 is one of the essentials of a good dairy barn. 
 
 The floor, back of the manger, is of clay, except at the door, 
 where a small portion is covered with cement. The cows run loose 
 
 0pWALL 
 FIG. 18. SHOWING PRESENT ARRANGEMENT OF cow STABLE. THERE ARE 
 
 STANCHIONS AND MANGERS FOR 28 COWS, AND 2200 SQ. FT. OF FLOOR SPACE 
 IN WHICH THE COWS CAN RUN LOOSE. THE GATES ARE SWUNG INTO THE 
 PRESENT POSITION WHEN BOX STALLS ARE NEEDED. 
 
ECONOMY OF THE ROUND DAIRY BARN 
 
 23 
 
 FIG. iy. SHOWING CROSS SECTION OF 60-FOOT KOUND BARN. 
 
 FIG. 20. CLEANING OUT cow STABLE WITH THREE-HORSE MANURE SPREADER. 
 
24 
 
 BULLETIN No. 143 
 
 [February, 
 
 except at feeding and milking time, when they are placed in rigid 
 stanchions. It must be distinctly understood that rigid stanchions 
 are strongly condemned as a cow tie, where cows are to remain 
 in them all night, but as they are here used merely to hold the 
 cow during milking, they are both economical and convenient. 
 
 Running cows loose in this manner is an excellent method, 
 where bedding is abundant and sufficient -space is available, as the 
 cows are more comfortable, and all fertility is saved. There is no 
 waste from leaching, as when the manure lies exposed to the 
 weather. This method saves the labor of cleaning the stable, as 
 the manure is loaded into the spreader and hauled directly upon 
 
 FlG. 21. COWS IN STANCHION AT MILKING TIME. 
 
 the land whenever convenient, and the land is in the best condition 
 to receive it.* 
 
 Three gates are hung on posts at the outside wall, and when 
 box stalls are needed, these are swung around to the manger, as 
 
 *For a more detailed discussion of the advantages of keeping cows in this manner, see 
 Illinois Agricultural Experiment Station Circular No. 93. 
 
igio] ECONOMY OF THE ROUND DAIRY BARN 25 
 
 shown in Fig. 18. The south door in the cow stable can be closed 
 by slatted gates, thus affording an abundance of fresh air and sun- 
 shine on nice days, without letting the cows out of the barn. . 
 
 The system of ventilation is the "King." To economize space 
 and lumber, the hay chute is used for a ventilator. This chute, 
 which extends to the cupola, is 2^x3^ feet, having a cross sec- 
 tion area of 8 sq. ft., which, with a good draft, is sufficient for 
 40 cows. In order that this combination of ventilator and hay 
 
 FIG. 21. CONTINUED. 
 
 chute prove practical, doors thru which the hay could be thrust 
 were placed at intervals in the side of the chute. These doors are 
 hinged at the top, opening in, and close immediately after the hay 
 drops, thus maintaining a closed ventilator chute. The air is drawn 
 in at the bottom, the amount being regulated by means of a sliding 
 door in the side. As this chute is 50 feet high, it creates a strong 
 suction. 
 
26 
 
 BULLETIN No. 143 
 
 THE MILK ROOM 
 
 [February, 
 
 To economize space, the milk room, 12x16 feet, is located under 
 the 'north driveway. The brick walls under the drive form the 
 sides of this room, and the floor of the drive, which is made of 
 2x6s grooved on both edges, forms the roof. The grooves in the 
 flooring were filled with white lead, and a wooden strip, fitted to 
 fill the grooves of both planks, was driven in, forming a water- 
 tight floor. This floor was covered with hot tar and sand l /> inch 
 thick. The milk room is plastered on the inside, the plaster being 
 applied directly to the brick walls, excepting in the case of the ceif- 
 
 FIG. 22. FEED ALLEY, SHOWING COMBINED HAY CHUTE AND VENTILATOR. 
 A DOOR ON THE SIDE WHICH IS HINGED AT THE BOTTOM, 3 FEET FROM 
 THE FLOOR, is LET IN TOWARD THE SILO, SLIDING THE HAY ONTO THE 
 
 FLOOR. IN HOT WEATHER THIS OPENING TAKES THE HEAT OUT OF THE 
 
 BARN; DURING THE WINTER THIS DOOR is KEPT CLOSED AND THE VENTI- 
 LATION IS REGULATED BY RAISING THE SLIDE, AS SHOWN IN THE CUT. 
 
 ing, which is lathed. The floor and cooling tank are of cement. 
 The passage from the barn to the milk room is thru a small hall- 
 way, which is open to the outside, thus preventing the stable air 
 getting into the milk room. 
 
 BARN SATISFACTORY 
 
 This round dairy barn above described has been in use for over 
 two years at the University of Illinois, and has given entire satis- 
 faction. 
 
igio] 
 
 ECONOMY OF THE ROUND DAIRY BARN 
 
 FIG. 23. NORTHEAST VIEW, SHOWING DAIRY UNDER DRIVEWAY. THE BARN 
 IS ON THE SAME SCALE AS THE DRAWING ON PAGE 28. 
 
 FIG. 2\. INTERIOR OK DAIRY; COOLING TANK ON T.EKT. 
 
28 
 
 BULLETIN No. 143 
 
 [February, 
 
 RE;-ARRANGEMENT OE BARN TO ACCOMMODATE 40 Cows 
 
 If it is desired to keep cows in stalls in a round barn of this 
 size, the circular manger can be enlarged to 38 feet in diameter, 
 which gives room for forty cows, as shown in Fig. 25, and the silo, 
 to hold sufficient silage to feed the year round, enlarged to 18 feet 
 in diameter. The present mow room is sufficient to store enough 
 hay and bedding for this number of cows. 
 
 The barn on the Twenty-acre Demonstration Dairy Farm was 
 built this large, as it was thought it might be desired at some fu- 
 ture time to increase the size of the farm and herd, and the barn 
 could easily be changed to accommodate a larger herd by simply 
 enlarging the silo, without rebuilding the barn. 
 
 Fro. 25. SHOWING HOW THIS 60-FOOT BARN MAY BE ARRANGED TO ACCOMMO- 
 DATE 40 COWS IN STALLS. To SUPPLY THIS SIZED HERD AND THE NECESSARY 
 
 YOUNG STOCK WITH SILAGE FOR EIGHT MONTHS WOULD REQUIRE A 370-TON 
 SILO, OR ONE 18 FEET IN DIAMETER AND 56 FEET DEEP; WlTH A SEVEN- 
 FOOT FEED ALLEY AND A 2^ -FOOT MANGER, THE CIRCLE AT THE STANCHIONS 
 WOULD BE 38 FEET IN DIAMETER, OR 119>^ FEET IN CIRCUMFERENCE; 
 ALLOWING 4# FEET FOR TWO PASSAGE WAYS, THE STALLS WOULD EE 2 FEET 
 INCHES WIDE AT THE STANCHION, AND 3 FEET 6 INCHES AT THE DROP. 
 
I9io] 
 
 ECONOMY o* THE ROUND DAIRY BARN 
 
 29 
 
 ITEMIZED COST OF THIS- ROUND BARN 
 
 60 pieces. Jx 6x12 Y. P. 
 
 Excavating, foundation, and first story brick wall.. ....$904.00 
 
 Lumber : 
 149 pieces, ix 4x16 Y. P. 
 
 31 
 16 
 
 165 
 
 17 
 226 
 
 20 
 6 
 
 15 
 
 120 
 
 23 
 IOO 
 
 144 
 
 67 
 
 2X 6x22 
 2X 6x24 
 2X 8xIO 
 
 2x 8x16 
 2x10x14 
 
 2XIOXI2 " 
 
 2X10X22 
 
 IXIOXI2 
 
 1x10x14 Cypress 
 
 1x12x14 
 
 i^xSxio Cyp. 828 
 
 1x1^x12x14 
 
 ix 4x14 Cypress 30 
 
 ix 4x12 4 
 
 ix 6x16 Y. P. 6 
 
 ix 6x14 " 9 
 
 2x 4x12 4 
 
 2X 4Xl6 II 
 
 2X 4x14 I 
 
 4x 4x14 I 
 
 2x12x16 " i 
 
 2x12x14 
 
 2X 6x20 " 22 
 
 2X 6X1 6 2 
 
 2X 6xl8 " 2 
 2X 6x26 
 
 6000 feet of 8-inch ship lap 
 3150 feet of 10-inch ship lap * 
 71 M 5/2 red cedar shingles 
 165 Lineal feet of 2-inch Cr. molding 
 240 Lineal feet of Cr. molding 
 270 feet of 4-inch Y. P. Si 8 
 4000 feet of 6-inch rough pine 
 
 62 feet of f^-inch Y. P. Ceiling 
 850 feet of 6-inch No. i flooring 
 230 feet of 6-inch fence flooring 
 56 lineal feet of ^x3-inch battening 
 32 lineal feet of lattice 
 444 lineal feet of 4-inch cypress 
 3 lo-foot cedar posts 
 
 Total cost of lumber $1.313.63 
 
 Mill work: 
 
 Window sash and doors $270.00 
 
 W r indow and door frames 71.00 
 
 Sawing lumber for silo, roof, bridge and stanchions 29.78 
 
 Cost of hardware 96-57 
 
 Carpenter work : 
 
 Head carpenter 518 hrs. @ 40c=$2O7.2O 
 
 Carpenters 1057 hrs. @ 35c= 369.95 
 
 Common labor 429 hrs. @ 2oc= 85.80 
 
 Total cost for carpenter work 662.95 
 
 Tiling around barn and silo, sewer from dairy room, retaining wall, ce- 
 ment floor in alley, dairy, doorway of barn, and steps and tanks. .. . 128.54 
 
 Plastering dairy room and inside of silo 104.60 
 
 Painting 89.54 
 
 Total cost of barn $3670.61 
 
30 
 
 BULLETIN No. 143 
 
 [February, 
 
 The cost of this barn, if built on the ordinary dairy farm, could 
 be materially reduced without shortening the life of the barn. 
 Owing to the conditions under which this barn was built, it was 
 necessary to pay for hauling all material to the farm, two and one- 
 half miles from town. All of the labor had to be hired, and as it 
 was necessary for the men to board themselves the wages paid 
 were proportionately higher. The farmer usually does the exca- 
 vating and hauls the brick, sand, and lumber with his own teams, 
 tends the mason, and does quite an amount of the rough work 
 with his own help, besides boarding the men, all of which would 
 
 FIG. 26. BARN No. 2, 80 FEET IN DIAMETER; ENGINE ROOM IN FOREGROUND. 
 
 greatly reduce the cost. The construction could also be cheapened 
 by using drop siding to cover the outside, instead of shingles, which 
 in this case were used over ship lap on the side walls to improve 
 the appearance. This barn could be still further cheapened by put- 
 ting hoops, five feet apart, around the studs, and covering with 
 common 1x12 boards, put on vertically, as is done in some cases. 
 A saving could also be made on the mill work and large doors by 
 
ECONOMY OF THE ROUND DAIRY BARN 
 
 31 
 
 having the carpenters make these plainer and leave the windows 
 out of them. 
 
 Anyone wishing to build a round barn can get local bids on 
 the lumber bill, and determine approximately the cost in his local- 
 ity. This will vary with both the location and the year. 
 
 OTHER ROUND DAIRY BARNS 
 BARN No. 2 
 
 Built 1897. 
 Diameter, 80 feet. 
 
 Capacity, 75 cows in 2 rows, tails together, 51 head in outer 
 circle, 24 head in inner circle. 
 
 FIG. 27. INTERIOR OF BARN NO. 2, SHOWING TWO ROWS OF STANCHIONS AND 
 DRIVE BEHIND cows WHICH is USED IN CLEANING BARN; Sii,o ON RIGHT. 
 
 Cost, $1800. 
 
 Studs, 2x6s, placed 2^/2 feet on center. 
 Supports, two 2x6s in each stanchion. 
 
 Joists, main span 3x125, 20 feet long, placed 14 inches on cen- 
 ter. Short spans over feed alleys, 2x1 os. 
 
 Plate, ixio-inch boards sprung around near top of studs. 
 
BULLETIN No. 143 
 
 [February, 
 
 Roof supports, 6x6s placed 12 feet apart. Purline plate rests 
 on these posts and consists of ix8s sprung to the circle. 
 
 Siding, 8-inch, put on horizontally, first story ceiled inside. 
 
 To clean out, a wagon is driven around between the two rows 
 of cows. 
 
 The chief objection to this barn is insufficient light in the cow- 
 stable. 
 
 This barn and No. 3 are approximately the same in construc- 
 tion, and are more substantially built than barns No. 4 and 5. 
 
 10 20- 
 
 OCALE 
 
 FIG. 28. ARRANGEMENT OK cow STABLE ix BARN NO. 2; Two ROWS OP 
 cows TAILED TOGETHER. THE BARN is CLEANED BY DRIVING AROUND 
 
 BEHIND THE COWS. 
 
IQIO] 
 
 ECONOMY OF THE ROUND DAIRY BARN 
 
 33 
 
 FIG. 29. BARN No. 3, 80 FEET IN DIAMETER. 
 
 BARN No. 4 
 
 Built in 1900. 
 
 Diameter, 90 feet. 
 
 Capacity, 105 cows, two rows heading together. 
 
 Cost, $3000. 
 
 Foundation, width at base and top, 18 inches; depth in ground. 
 20 inches, (not sufficient). 
 
 Sills, 2x8s, sawed in short lengths, and placed flatwise. 
 
 Studding, 2O-foot 2x8s, placed 3 feet on center and toenailed 
 to sill. 
 
 Supports, first story 4x45 placed between stanchions in each 
 row, making two rows of supports between the outside wall and the 
 
34 
 
 BULLETIN No. 143 
 
 [February, 
 
 silo ; 4x45 cut to a circle placed on top of these supports. The out- 
 side span, over cows, is 13 feet 6 inches; middle span, over feed 
 alley, 6 feet 8 inches, and inside span, over cows, 13 feet. 
 
 Joists, 2x8s placed 3 feet apart at studs on outside wall. There 
 are as many joists in center of barn as at the outside. 
 
 Supports, second-story, consist of one row of posts running 
 around at a point immediately under the break in the roof. Tliese 
 are 16 feet apart and are made of three 2x8s kept 2 inches apart 
 by horizontal braces which run from studding near the eave thru 
 these posts to studding in silo. See Fig. 31. 
 
 Plate, rafter is set on top of each stud, and no plate is used. 
 
 Rafters, 2x6s resting on studs at outside and on circular plate 
 at break in roof. 
 
 FIG. 30. BARN No. 4, 90 FEET IN DIAMETER; ONE OF THE FEW DAIRY BARNS WITH 
 SUFFICIENT LIGHT; SAME SCALE AS DRAWING ON PAGE 37, 
 
ECONOMY OF THE ROTND DAIRY BARN 
 
 35 
 
 FlG. 31. SlLO IN CENTER OF BARN No. 4; UPPER PORTION IN HAY LOFT, LOWER 
 
 PORTION IN COW STABLE. 
 
36 
 
 BULLETIN No. 143 
 
 [February, 
 
 Siding, 8-inch drop siding, put on horizontally, nailed with lod 
 nails. Ends holding well. 
 
 "Windows, 12 light, 10x12 glass; one window every six feet. 
 This gives an abundance of light in the center of the barn. 
 
 Doors, built on circle; (not satisfactory). 
 
 Silo, round ; diameter, 24 feet over all ; height, 53 feet, ex- 
 clusive of 12-foot space for water tank on top; capacity, 500 tons. 
 
 FIG. 32. INTERIOR OF BARN NO. 4, SHOWING STALLS AND FEED AL.I.EY. 
 
 Studs of silo, 2x48 placed 12 inches on center. Ceiled inside of 
 studs with two thicknesses of half-inch lumber with paper between. 
 
 Remarks : Considering its size, the construction of this barn is 
 apparently too light to be substantial, as the joists and studs are 
 too small and too far apart, yet it has stood for nine years with 
 no more evidence of wear than is common with any barn. 
 
 \Yere the owner to build again he would place the studs only 
 2}/2 feet apart and use 2x12 joists, 2^ feet apart at the outside 
 wall. He would also use cement plaster on inside of silo. 
 
I9io] 
 
 ECONOMY OF THE ROUND DAIRY BARN 
 
 37 
 
 The owner says it would have cost him as much to have built 
 a rectangular barn without the 500-1011 silo, and containing- 1300 
 sq. ft. less floor space. In other words, he gained a 5oo-ton silo 
 and 1300 sq. ft. of floor space, besides an immense amount of mow 
 room, by building a circular barn. 
 
 WALK 
 
 Fio. 33. ARRANGEMENT OK cow STABLE IN BARN No. 4, 90 FEET IN DIAMETER; 
 
 Two ROWS OK COWS HEADED TOGETHER. 
 
38 
 
 BULLETIN No. 143 
 
 [February, 
 
 BARN No. 5 
 
 Built in 1906. 
 
 Diameter, 100 feet. 
 
 Capacity, 115 cows. 
 
 Cost, $3400. 
 
 Studding, 1 6- foot 2x6s, placed 3 feet on centers. 
 
 Supports, 3 rows 4x43. 
 
 Joists, 2x1 os, placed 3 feet on centers. Hemlock and yellow 
 pine. 
 
 Floor, laid in eight directions. 
 
 Rafters, 2x6s spiked to studs. A band of two ix6s is placed 
 around the studs just below the rafters, and helps support the 
 rafters. 
 
 Supports for roof. There are three purline plates. Two of 
 these are supported by posts, the other by braces running out from 
 the silo. The roof is straight from eaves to peak. The bracing 
 is similar to that of barn No. 4. 
 
 Silo, 1 8 feet in diameter, 56 feet deep, 2 feet in ground. Ca- 
 pacity, 350 tons. 
 
 FIG. 34. BARN 92 FEET IN DIAMETER; Two ROWS OF cows HEADED 
 TOGETHER; 811,0 IN CENTER. 
 
ECONOMY OF THE ROUND DAIRY BARN 
 
 39 
 
 FIG. 35. VIEW OF 70-FooT SEI/F SUPPORTING ROOF ON BARN SHOWN IN 
 
 FIG. 36; NOTE HOOPS ON STUDS IN RIGHT FOREGROUND. 
 
 FIG. 36. BARN 70 FEET IN DIAMETER; FRAME HOOPED FOR PERPENDICU- 
 LAR SIDING; I/OWER SECTION SIDED. 
 
40 
 
 BULLETIN No. 143 
 THE SMALL, DAIRYMAN 'a BARN 
 
 [February. 
 
 The round barns previously described do not meet the nee/ds 
 of the man with only a few cows. He usually wants a general- 
 purpose barn. The circular form can be made satisfactory for this 
 
 FIG. 37. BARN 40 FEET IN DIAMETER. 
 
 81 
 
 m 
 
 FIG. 38. BARN 48 FEET IN DIAMETER, 16-FooT POSTS; NOTE METHOD OK 
 TAKING HAY INTO SMALL ROUND BARN. 
 
ECONOMY OF THE ROUND DAIRY BAK.N 
 
 41 
 
 purpose if proper attention is given to the plan. It is necessary 
 that the cow stable be distinctly separated from all other stock by 
 a tight wall. Round barns with this arrangement are giving sat- 
 isfaction in Illinois at the present time. 
 
 FIG. 39. SHOWING CONSTRUCTION OF BARN IN FIG. 40. HOOPS IN PLACE 
 READY FOR PERPENDICULAR SIDING; ROOK SHEATHED FOR SHINGLES. 
 
 T^'jfc v":*~v 
 
 
 FIG. 40. BARN 102 FEET IN DIAMETER AND 85 FEET HIGH. 
 
42 BULLETIN No. 143 [February. 
 
 DISADVANTAGES OF THE POLYGONAL BARN , 
 
 A polygonal barn has the disadvantages of both the rectangu- 
 lar and the round barn, and is less stable than either. It must 
 necessarily have a heavy frame, which is expensive, and as the sid- 
 ing cannot run around the corners, it is very difficult to tie the dif- 
 ferent sides together' sufficiently to prevent the barn being racked 
 by the wind. 
 
 BARN No. 6 
 
 i6-sided. 
 Built, 1888. 
 
 FIG. 41. BARN No. 6; 85 FEET IN DIAMETER; SAME SCALE AS DRAWING ON 
 
 OPPOSITE PACK. 
 
ECONOMY OF THE ROUND DAIRY BARN 
 
 43 
 
 Diameter, 85 feet. 
 
 Height, 26-foot posts on 9-foot wall. 
 Capacity, 88 cows ; 350 tons of hay. 
 
 Foundation and first story, cement wall 9 feet above cement 
 floor. 
 
 Supports, 4x85, placed just back of stanchions, 3 feet on center. 
 Studs, 2x1 os, 26 feet long, placed 2^2 feet on center. 
 
 10 ZO 
 
 3CALZ. 
 
 FIG. 42. ARRANGEMENT OK cow STABLE IN BARN No. 6. 
 
 Joists 3x125, 20 feet long, 14 inches on center for main span. 
 
 Rafters, self supporting. Sheathed with ix6s with no space 
 between. This roof has a purline plate thrown in the gambrel. 
 The plate is supported only by the braces which tie the joints. 
 
 The barn has been racked three times by the wind, replumbed 
 and heavy iron rods put in to brace it, yet it is out of plumb at the 
 present time. 
 
44 BULLETIN No. 143 [February, 
 
 CONCLUSIONS 
 
 In summing up the data given in this bulletin, it is obvious that 
 the advantages of the round barn are convenience, strength, and 
 cheapness. 
 
 The round barn is the more convenient, because of the unob- 
 structed mow, which reduces the labor required in mowing hay, and 
 because of the greater ease and fewer steps with which the feed 
 can be gotten to the cows, owing to the central location of the 
 supply. 
 
 The circular construction is the strongest because advantage is 
 taken of the lineal strength of the lumber. All exposed surfaces 
 are circular, and withstand greater wind pressure, as the wind can 
 get no direct hold, as on the sides or gable ends of a rectangular 
 barn. 
 
 In round numbers, rectangular barns require, according to their 
 construction, from 34 to 58 percent more in cost of material than 
 round barns with the same floor area and built of the same grade 
 of material. 
 
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS-URBAN/I