Animal Health & Welfare

• The cow/heifer should have access to a place where she can lie down and get up freely and without restriction
• Bedding should not be excessively soiled

Straw Courts

Straw courts are a more traditional alternative to cubicle housing and have recently gained in popularity. They consist of a deeply bedded open area. Current standards require that cattle are given an area large enough to allow the herd to simultaneously lie down. This requirement is dependent on weight and stands at 3.5 square metres for a 400 kg heifer/cow rising by 75cm2 for every additional 100 kg.

Recent systems-level work at SAC has found that straw courts differ from cubicle housing in the following ways:

• Levels of lameness were significantly lower on farms that used straw courts as lying areas for the herd
• General injuries (including abrasions, hock rubs and knee swellings) were less prevalent in straw court systems
• A greater level of behavioural synchrony existed within herds on farms that used straw courts, with larger proportions of cattle feeding and lying together.  Possibly due to this, greater levels of aggression at the feed face were found in straw courts, and a longer feed face provision per animal may be required to combat this 
• Other research has suggested that the space allowance and synchrony of lying in straw courts means that less aggression and displacement are seen in the court area itself

Further information on this project can be found under ‘Behavioural studies relating to the welfare of intensively managed dairy cows’ on the right.

Cubicles

Cubicles were adopted as a viable way to maximise use of lying space for cattle and therefore increase housing capacity. Most cubicles contain a soft lying surface such as a mattress or wood shavings placed over a concrete base. They are separated by metal barriers which are often bolted to the ground at the head of the cow and extend backwards. Some cubicles use an older design where the barriers are attached at the head and rear of the cow (similar to the "Newton Rigg" design). Research has shown that as many as 88% of cubicles do not provide sufficient comfort to heifers and cows.

Current research findings with respect to cubicles, in addition to those listed in the comparison of straw courts and cubicles above, are as follows:

• Lameness and hock injuries were more prevalent when the lunge space of the cubicles was too small
• Lower levels of night feeding were observed when cubicles had mats and mattresses. This suggests a higher degree of comfort when lying
• Heifers had a significantly poorer cleanliness score in cubicle housing

To reduce the severity of these problems, the following approaches can be adopted:

• Lunge areas should be large enough to allow a cow to shift her weight forwards before standing. Horizontal bars across cubicles are liable to hinder rising. Older cubicles that are anchored to the floor in two places (similar to the "Newton Rigg" design) are more likely to cause injury to the hind quarters by hindering rising or trapping the hind legs
• As a cow lies down 80% of her weight is taken on the hocks and knees. To reduce injuries to these areas in cubicle housing it is recommended that some kind of cushioning is used on the floor of the cubicle. Rubber flooring materials for cubicles, although often less expensive than more robust mattress type flooring are dissolved by milk fat during leakage and may be less cost efficient in the long term.
• Enough cubicles should be provided to allow one per cow to prevent the displacement of subordinate members of the group.
• The step into the cubicles should be around 20cm high. Steps of 30cm or more are not only difficult to negotiate but also place undue pressure on the hind legs when leaving or standing half in and half out of a cubicle.
• Cubicles should be scraped and a fresh covering of straw, soft wood/paper shavings or sand applied daily, especially for heifers who are more likely to soil the cubicle through inexperience and due to their comparatively shorter body length. Cubicles should also have a slight upwards gradient, not only to facilitate the run off of urine and milk but also because research has shown that cattle prefer to lie uphill to aid rumination and take pressure off the lungs.