Author ArchivesFrancis Couture

While many cow comfort issues have to do with facility design, the management of these facilities is essential in achieving good cow comfort in the barn. Job descriptions and standard operating procedures need to be developed and carried out with the welfare of the cow in mind at all times. As a dairy industry we have a moral obligation to provide care, safety, and cow comfort to the animals in exchange for milk and meat. Full Article Industry Knowledge

“Results from the recent AFBI project indicated that the effect of floor type on performance is influenced by the diet offered.  When bulls were offered ad libitum concentrates, those accommodated on rubber covered slats had a higher concentrate intake than bulls accommodated on concrete slats.” “Increased daily live weight gain is likely to be found in bulls accommodated on slats overlaid with rubber, making this is an economically viable choice.  Additionally rubber floors provided a more comfortable floor, allowing bulls to get up and down more easily; cleaner cattle and less hoof bruising.” Full Article Industry Knowledge

“Our results showed that cows kept in tie stalls with hard concrete floors spend more time per day standing without feeding and tended to spend less time lying. Feeding time was not affected. The reduction in lying time was due primarily to a reduction in the frequency of lying bouts: the mean duration of bouts of both lying and standing were actually higher on the concrete floors than on the rubber floors. Thus, the main effect of the softer flooring was to increase the willingness of the cows to change posture, that is, to lie down and to stand up. Once the cows were lying down or standing, they continued to lie or stand for a shorter period of time ...