Ground stable barns are a relatively modern type of
barn
A barn is an agricultural building usually on farms and used for various purposes. In North America, a barn refers to structures that house livestock, including cattle and horses, as well as equipment and fodder, and often grain.Alle ...
design found in many places across the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
. Mostly constructed after 1910 when government health regulations associated with the dairy industry were altered forcing changes in barn design.
Design
These
gambrel
A gambrel or gambrel roof is a usually symmetrical two-sided roof with two slopes on each side. (The usual architectural term in eighteenth-century England and North America was "Dutch roof".) The upper slope is positioned at a shallow angle, ...
roofed buildings were widely adopted throughout the U.S. Promoted by agricultural college experiment station, these barns had washable
concrete
Concrete is a composite material composed of fine and coarse aggregate bonded together with a fluid cement (cement paste) that hardens (cures) over time. Concrete is the second-most-used substance in the world after water, and is the most wid ...
floors.
Cattle
Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, cloven-hooved, herbivores. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus ''Bos''. Adult females are referred to as cows and adult ma ...
were housed at ground level in steel pipe stanchion. The hay
loft above is generally ample due to the gambrel roof, which can be erected with pre fabricated
truss
A truss is an assembly of ''members'' such as beams, connected by ''nodes'', that creates a rigid structure.
In engineering, a truss is a structure that "consists of two-force members only, where the members are organized so that the assembl ...
es. Small milk houses were usually attached to the main barn building and ventilators topped the roof providing fresh air.
[Historic Barn Types]
Taking Care of Your Old Barn, University of Vermont, Vermont Division for Historic Preservation. Retrieved 7 February 2007.
See also
Huehnerstall
(in German)
Building
References
{{Reflist
Barns in the United States