A healthy cow in a clean shed

Two brown cows in a tie stall. One is standing and the other is lying down. In front of the cows is a feed trough and below is a manure storage pit. The cows are part of a miniature used by Finnish milk hygienist and veterinarian Walter Ehrström (1890–1966). The object is approximately 30 cm long in each direction and is estimated to have been completed in 1937.

The photo shows a miniature of two cows in a tie stall, depicted from the side. The cows are facing left. The cow at the back is standing and the one in the front is lying down. Below the cows is a large, empty manure storage pit. Drawn on the miniature are the locations of supporting structures. The background is grey.
A short stall and cows with a manure storage pit behind them. Photograph: Helsinki University Museum/Timo Huvilinna.

In a tie stall, the animals are tethered within their stalls, allowing them to stand or lie down, but not turn around. In Sweden and Norway, tie stalls can no longer be built, and a similar ban has long been discussed in Finland as well. Continue reading “A healthy cow in a clean shed”