The Impact of Localization and Barn Type on Insolation of Sidewall Stalls During Summer

In the light of climate changes related to global warming forecasted by scientists, preventive measures against negative impact of solar radiation on dairy cattle welfare become vital. Apart from sprinklers and fans, different forms of shading, like native trees, extension of eaves or shade screens are increasingly often mentioned. The aim of the present studies was to determine the effect of barn type and orientation on the penetration of solar radiation into sidewall stalls during summer. A non-stationary analysis was performed for 3 types of curtain-sided freestall barns most commonly used in Poland, in which a model analysis of insolation was performed taking into account geographical location of Poland, azimuth and sun angles. The obtained results allowed us to identify optimal orientation of barns and to suggest the simplest technical measures to protect sidewall stalls from solar heat gain deleterious to cows. The model analysis of stall shading demonstrated that extension of barn eaves to 1 m on the southern side reduced the insolation of stalls over even up to 90% of their area.