Home Page
Used Equipment For Sale
Youth Scholarship
Meet Our Sponsors
Join/Renew

Cow Comfort and Lameness

Cow Comfort and its impact on behavior and lameness
Do modern dairy barns make cows lame? New research is showing that aspects of the cow’s environment, such as wet concrete floors, increase the risk of lameness. Freestall design can also affect lameness; for example, by increasing the time cows spend ‘perching’ half-way in the stall. >> Read more

The Influence of Cow Comfort on Lameness and Production
In light of data suggesting that culling rates in North America continue to increase as milk yield increases, and with renewed interest in cow longevity, it is tempting to speculate that improvements in genetics and nutrition have outpaced the facilities in which we house our dairy cows. If we are to continue to milk high yielding dairy cows, whilst improving cow health and longevity, we must improve the environment in which we house them and question some of the management and feeding strategies which are now commonplace. >> Read more

Lameness and claw lesions as influenced by stall environment and cow comfort
Milk production is in rapid change in many countries leading to a more intensive production, larger dairy operations, and more automated units, such milking robots. The individual cow will receive less attention and herd problems with production diseases will become more of a common problem. Claw and leg injuries resulting in lameness have become major concern to the dairy industry. Risk factors of highest importance include housing facilities, feeding, genetics and management. Flooring quality and management are of utter importance for claw health both physically and hygienically.>> Read more