Properly designed and managed freestalls can provide dairy cows with a comfortable resting environment. Maximizing cow comfort will increase lying times, which can provide many benefits to dairy producers, including higher milk yields and cow longevity. However, poorly designed and kept freestalls can result in greater incidences of mastitis, lameness and hock injuries.
Management practices associated with freestall design and maintenance directly impact cow comfort, so these key points should be kept in mind:
1. Design and dimensions
Appropriately sized stalls should allow a cow to stand up and lie down naturally. If neck rails and brisket boards are used, they must be placed correctly to provide for adequate lunge space. Your stalls should be sized to fit your largest cow, not the average-size cow in your herd. If stalls are too small, cows will not use them, dramatically decreasing lying time and increasing the likelihood of injuries. A stall that is too large may provide optimal cow comfort, but will also result in dirty stalls and cows, and increased stall maintenance.
Observe your cows to see if they are comfortable in your freestalls. You will see a majority of your cows either lying down or standing parallel in the stalls if they are comfortable. Contrarily, uncomfortable stalls will result in cows perching in the stalls, lying diagonally, lying half in the stall and half in the alleyway, or even completely lying in the alleyway, usually due to incorrect neck rail or brisket board position.
2. Bedding
When deciding between different bedding options, take into consideration the bedding price, availability, effects on cow comfort, handling ease of the material and your manure handling system. The goal is to minimize exposure to environmental mastitis pathogens and keep cows clean, dry and comfortable, thus increasing stall usage. In Kentucky, stall bases are generally either mattresses or deep-bedded with sand. When using mattresses, you must add at least 3 inches of bedding on top of the stall base. Deep-bedded stalls require at least 6 inches of sand.
The prevalence of lameness and hock lesions is usually higher with mattresses, as deep-bedded stalls provide more cushion and traction. Sand is the ideal bedding material for deep-bedded stalls because it conforms to the cow as she lies down, and there is less bacterial growth in sand compared with organic materials. However, sand presents some challenges related to manure management, as it separates from manure, making it harder to handle.
Use a “wet knee test.” Kneel in a stall for 10 seconds, and if your knees are wet, your stalls are not properly bedded. Inspect this at least daily, and remove any wet bedding. Deep-bedded stalls should be leveled at least twice a week, and bedding should be added at least once a week. Observe the cleanliness of your cows to see if bedding needs to be added more often. To test stall comfort, drop to your knees at the end of the stall. If it hurts your knees to do this, your stalls are not comfortable enough for your cows.
3. Stocking density
When a barn has more cows than stalls, it’s considered overstocked. It is recommended to house fresh cows at 80 percent stocking density. Other than this exception, understocking provides no benefits, while overstocking can create competition for resources that inhibit a cow from behaving naturally. Stocking density at the freestalls should not exceed 120 percent. Increasing stocking density results in decreased lying and resting time. More time spent standing leads to higher instances of lameness, increases stress and suppresses the immune system. Additionally, overcrowding at the freestalls generally results in overcrowding at the feedbunk, decreased feeding time and increased aggression. PD
Jordan Martinez, Lauren Mayo and Donna M. Amaral-Phillips are with the University of Kentucky, College of Agriculture, Food and Environment.
