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The effect of rubber versus concrete passageways in cubicle housing on claw health and reproduction of pluriparous dairy cows
Boyle, Laura Mee, John F Kierman, Paul J.
Boyle, Laura
Mee, John F
Kierman, Paul J.
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2006
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Boyle, L. A., Mee, J. F., & Kiernan, P. J. (2007). The effect of rubber versus concrete passageways in cubicle housing on claw health and reproduction of pluriparous dairy cows. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 106(1-3), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2006.07.011
Abstract
The effect of covering the passageways and feed face of a cubicle house with rubber flooring was
compared to concrete in terms of claw health, behaviour and reproductive performance of dairy cows from a
grass-based milk production system. Sixty-two, autumn calving, pluriparous Holstein–Friesian cows were
introduced to the housing treatments prior to calving. Foot lesions were scored at housing, 1, 7, 12 and 16
weeks post-partum. The behaviour (activity, posture, and location) of all cows was recorded by instantaneous
scan sampling over 24 h once per week from ca. 3 weeks pre-partum to 12 weeks post-partum. Estrous
activity was recorded by visual observation three times daily using tail-paint and continuously by
radiotelemetry from 1 week after calving until the end of the breeding season.
The rubber flooring had a negligible beneficial effect on heel erosion but no effect on haemorrhage or
dermatitis scores and no effect on the proportion of cows affected by severe lesions. Furthermore, there were
no benefits for estrous expression or subsequent reproductive performance. There were no differences
between treatments in time spent standing by cows, but cows on concrete stood more in the cubicles, while
cows on the rubber flooring stood more at the feed face. This suggests that cows prefer to stand on
comfortable surfaces while not feeding and that they can use well-bedded, comfortable cubicles for standing
to get relief for their feet from concrete floors. This also explains the lack of a difference between treatments
in claw health.