The sheep sector is presently going through a period of transition and renewal. From the old rural practice we are coming to more professional and organized requirements. We need therefore simple, prompt, easy-to-apply innovatory technologies. These requirements are more evident in the milking sector, where tradition is deep-seated and more settled and the fast and positive attainment of the expected technological and structural improvements is more important from the economic point of view, considering the marked trend and the significant potentiality of the sector to this evolution.

STALL WITH REST, WATERING AND FEEDING AREA
A widely used solution provides for stalls on deep litter with straw or chips (thickness of about 30-40 cm) to be removed about 2-3 times every year, on the occasion of the land manuring operations.
Multiple stalls are usually adopted as they can house a variable number of animals according to the size of the farming and its organization.

- Hot-galvanized steel bearing structure
- Ferroconcrete foundations with string courses that serve as control walls of the sewage tanks

The feeding area consists of a step with sloping floor (about 3 cm) placed inside the stall between the litter surface and the feeding rack wall. 80 / 100 cm wide, it is bounded by the feeding rack wall on the fodder-trough side. The feeding rack, whose cross distance for an adult head changes from 25 to 33 cm according to the breed, shall be a “catching” type (available for animals with or without horns), so as to allow the seizing of the animals by making the treatment and control operations easier. As to the watering place, the most common solution is the constant-level basin (standard dimensions: 20x80 cm) so as to allow the contemporaneous access of two animals without large amounts of stagnant water.

SERVICE GANGWAYS – EXTERNAL FENCES
The external area – very useful – should measure 2,5-3,5 m_/head when floored, and 5-8 m_/head when ground floor. It is usually bounded by hot-galvanized steel fences provided with suitable openings, min. 3 m wide, so as to allow the cleaning means to get in.

The use of the ‘unifeed’ trolley in the sheep and goat farming gave very good results, for both the recycling of the farm products and the bigger productions that have been registered in the farmings that used it first. When, for lack of room, large gangways are not possible, or when you plan to mechanize still further the farming, it is possible to use automatic belts with single or double useful side that feed the different stalls. Powered belts which are available in different width: 30 cm with wall-mounted single fodder-trough; 60 cm with central double fodder-trough for animals without horns, 75 cm with double fodder-trough for horned animals.

CONTROL EQUIPMENT
In order to assure the greatest functionality of shelters, especially in large-sized centres, it is advisable to arrange additional running structures, such as sorting passages, corrals and passages for health treatments and examinations. Every corral shall usually hold all the animals of one stall and have a surface of 0,3 m_/head. It is possible to provide the corral with a special catching device that overturns and immobilizes the animal by making all the tending and control operations easier.

MULTIPURPOSE STALLS FOR LAMBING, INFIRMARY, RAMS AND WEANING STALLS FOR LAMBS AND KIDS
The early weaning in single stalls takes usually place for fattening males or for twin lambs rejected by their mother.
Practically, they are prefabricated stalls with washable walls to house the single animal when it needs special attention and care. The stalls for male animals shall have comfortable dimensions and arrangement. They are divided into multiple stalls for young animals and single stalls for adult animals. Lambs are usually weaned by means of two different ways:

The weaning on ground in multiple stalls is executed in stalls with wire net partition walls that house groups of about 20-40 lambs.

MILKING ROOM
The milking system influences the managing and production results of the farming and it can be:

linear diagonal

rotating

The number of stalls and milking units shall be settled according to the total heads in production, to the numerousness of the groups of animals and to the organization of the operators.

For small farmings, milking ramps with 8-12 stalls and 2-3 milking pails are available, allowing the small farmers to get the advantages of the milking plant.

For subdivided and/or displaced farmings it is possible to use a special milking wagon. It is a whole plant, fully assembled on a wagon drawn by a tractor, that gives all the features and the advantages of a fixed plant to the farmers that, for logistic problems, have several groups of animals.