Comfortable cows produce more milk, and the bedding we choose plays a large role in cow comfort. Since cows can’t talk to us, people have created systems to gauge if a cow is comfortable. Some cow comfort indicators impacted by the lying surface and bedding are resting time, locomotion scores and hock scores.
Ideally, a cow’s time budget would allow her to rest 12 to 14 hours daily. Lying time is considered an animal welfare behavior because cows prioritize lying over other behaviors, so if lying time is outside the normal realm, there may be an animal welfare concern. When a cow is uncomfortable in her lying area and spends more time standing than she should, she is more likely to become lame, eat less and have less productive rumination. When a cow goes to lie down or stand up, she puts all her bodyweight on her knees. Therefore, providing a soft lying surface will encourage her to lie down more often.
Locomotion and hock scoring
Locomotion scoring assesses lameness by watching a cow’s gait and assigning her a score on a scale that begins at no lameness and goes to severely lame.
Hock scoring assesses swelling, abrasions and lesions on the hocks to determine if the hock is rubbing too much on an uncomfortable lying surface. This scale goes from no swelling and hair loss to extreme swelling and baldness. Poor hock scores have been correlated with an increase in teat injuries and mastitis.
Now that we’ve reviewed some performance indicators, let’s look at different bedding types and how comfortable they are for cows.
Sand
Sand is considered a comfortable bedding source, as it moves with cows as they lie on it instead of compacting like shavings or sawdust. Farmers must be careful when trimming the feet of cows on sand since sand is abrasive and can cause lameness if cows are trimmed too short. Sand stays cool during the summer and is often considered the best bedding to combat heat stress.
Cow comfort is important when choosing bedding, but mastitis prevention is also essential. I often work with farmers to lower somatic cell count, and I always consider bedding as a source of mastitis-causing pathogens. Because sand is inorganic, it stays cool and dry, and bacteria cannot grow as well on sand as on other beddings.
Shavings/sawdust
When bedding with shavings or sawdust, the amount of bedding provided can greatly impact cow comfort. I’ve walked through many barns that are just using a dusting of shavings or sawdust to cut back on expenses. In reality, several inches are needed to ensure cows are comfortable if bedding with shavings.
If you are using shavings or sawdust on your farm and are having problems with mastitis, adding lime at the back of stalls can help lower moisture levels and increase the pH so that bacteria cannot grow as readily. Lime needs to be spread daily to be effective but only spread a small amount because it can burn the teat ends of the cow. Kiln-dried shavings may also be better than green shavings when trying to prevent mastitis.
Straw
Straw is often an affordable bedding source, as it can be grown on the farm. Straw is frequently used in box stalls for sick or calving animals, but it can also be used in stalls. Just like shavings and sawdust, using more straw ensures better cow comfort.
Cows are usually dirtier when housed on straw than sand, most likely because straw is an organic bedding that bacteria can easily grow on. Because of this, scraping straw stalls regularly is required to prevent mastitis.
Recycled manure solids
Recycled manure solids have increased in popularity as a way producers can save money on bedding and improve sustainability by utilizing something already on the farm. Many farmers are still wary because they often have higher bacterial counts than other types of bedding. Although they may have higher bacterial counts, this does not necessarily affect somatic cell count if proper milking procedures are used. One way to reduce some mastitis-causing pathogens when using recycled manure solids is to use it on mattresses and replace it daily instead of deep-bedding stalls with it.
Mattresses and mats
When given the choice, cows will lay on rubber mats rather than concrete stalls. If comparing deep-bedded stalls and mattresses, cows with deep-bedded stalls have better lameness and hock scores than mattresses. If you have mattresses in your barn, keep an eye on them to make sure they aren’t getting worn out. Worn-out mattresses will often have holes in them where cows usually stand; this is especially common in tiestall barns.
It is a common misconception that no bedding is needed when using mattresses or mats in stalls. Bedding is required to add to the comfort of the mattress or mat and extend its life. Adding more shavings or straw bedding in tiestalls on top of mattresses increases lying time. Adding a good amount of bedding to stalls with mattresses can also decrease perching, which is where cows stand with their front feet in the stall and their back feet on the ground. Perching is of utmost concern in overcrowded barns, as this can take away a stall from a cow who wants to lay in it.
Different studies present conflicting information regarding which bedding is the best for preventing hock abrasions. One showed that bedding with shavings causes more hock abrasions, while another showed that straw causes more hock abrasions. Studies have shown that the bedding type may matter less than the depth. Adding more bedding increases cow comfort. It is also essential for bedding to be clean since cows will lie down longer on dry bedding than on wet bedding. See below for additional bedding tips to keep cows comfortable.
References omitted but are available upon request by sending an email to an editor.
No matter what type of bedding you are using, here are some tips to keep cows comfortable:
- Scrape stalls at least twice per day to keep bedding dry.
- Bed stalls often to keep adequate bedding beneath cows.
- Assess locomotion and hock scores often to evaluate your bedding practices.
- Ensure that unused bedding is stored properly so it is not wet when put on stalls.
