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February 22, 2006 Comfort Important to Dairy Cows Dairy farmers need to observe their cows’ natural behavior before upgrading the animals’ stalls, a North Dakota State University dairy expert advises. All too often, dairy producers invest a lot of money in new stalls to improve their cows’ comfort only to find the animals aren’t using the stalls, according to NDSU Extension Service dairy specialist J.W. Schroeder. “To build ergonomically correct stalls, you must know the normal resting positions, and rising and lying motions, as well as the dimensions of dairy cows and their space requirements for normal behavior,” he says. Comfort is important because cows that are healthy and housed in clean facilities with adequate access to feed perform better than cows in a poor environment, he adds. Cows’ need to rest is a major component of their comfort. Dairy cows spend about 21 hours a day walking, standing in their stalls, grooming and ruminating, and 2.7 hours in the milking parlor, Schroeder says. Some studies suggest a cow produces about 2 additional pounds of milk for every hour it rests. The health benefits of resting include increased rumination and blood flow to the mammary gland; less pressure on hooves, which results in less lameness; less fatigue and stress; and greater feed intake. Feed intake is particularly vital because it drives milk production, Schroeder says. Poor stall design and overcrowding are among the factors that can interfere with a cow’s resting time. Twenty-five percent overcrowding can reduce the time cows spend lying by two hours. Also, overcrowding can limit the cows’ access to stalls and feed. When cows rest, they need room to stretch their front legs forward; lie on their sides with unobstructed space for their neck and head; rest their head against their sides without interference from a partition; rest their legs, udders and tails on the stall platform; stand or lie without pain from neck rails, partitions or supports; and rest on a clean, dry, soft bed. To rise, cows need room to lunge forward and bob their head. If cows’ legs fall off the stall platform and the animals have abrasions on the inside of their rear legs or hock injuries, the stalls are too short, Schroeder says. Free-stall recommendations vary and tend to be based on cow weight. For more information on stall designs, visit Schroeder’s Web site at www.ag.ndsu.nodak.edu/aginfo/dairy/index.htm and click on “Facilities.” Schroeder also has this advice:
“By adjusting management to cows rather than cows to a management plan to fit people, dairies could improve cow performance,” Schroeder says. ### Source:
J.W. Schroeder, (701) 231-7663, jschroed@ndsuext.nodak.edu |
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