Every dairy farmer encounters it from time to time: swollen or bald hocks. Many farmers assume the problem is caused by the bedding; maybe it’s too rough, too hard, or causes too much friction. These are all logical explanations.
However, hock lesions in dairy cows are not caused by bedding alone. The entire resting area influences hock health. Bedding is important, but it’s only one part of the solution.
Swollen and hairless hocks can develop for several reasons:
Uncomfortable bedding: increases pressure and friction
Poor hygiene: moisture softens the skin, making it more vulnerable
Lying too long: creates prolonged pressure on one area
Lying too little: increases pressure on the legs
A healthy cow lies down 12–14 hours per day. She doesn’t do this in one stretch; she stands up around 12 times a day. Each lying session lasts only 30–45 minutes. She stands up, walks to the feed fronts, eats, and lies down again on her other side.
This natural lying pattern ensures that pressure on the hocks is applied only for short periods and is distributed throughout the day.
But to stimulate this healthy behavior, stall design and cow comfort must be optimal.
Comfortable box covering has a major impact on hock health. Good bedding distributes pressure evenly across the cow’s body. Cows will also choose to lie down more often in stalls with soft, resilient bedding than in hard or abrasive stalls.
The bedding must provide enough grip when lying down and getting up. When bedding offers good traction, cows stand up more frequently between lying sessions. This promotes healthy lying behavior and prevents cows from experiencing long, continuous pressure on one spot, reducing the risk of hock lesions, swollen hocks, and bald hocks.
In addition to bedding, cubicle dimensions and freedom of movement are crucial. In a small cubicle, cows have difficulty lying down and standing up. As a result, they may lie down less often and fail to maintain natural lying patterns.
If a cubicle is too small, a cow feels relieved once she is lying down and will be less likely to get up again. This increases the chance that she lies down fewer times but stays down longer, creating excessive pressure on the hocks and causing swelling and hair loss.
Key factors include:
Summary
Swollen and bald hocks are common problems in dairy cows. You can prevent them with the right cubcile design by:
Experiences of a dairy farmer
Read family Van Ginkel's story about how Dual waterbeds ensure their cows no longer have swollen hocks.
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