Imagine this: you weigh 700 kilos and you sleep every night in a small, hard, and cold bed. Would you lie down, or would you remain standing? And how long would your feet be able to cope?
Cows become lame due to multiple factors, such as nutrition, genetics, and the surface they walk on. What many dairy farmers underestimate, however, is the direct impact of lying comfort and barn design on hoof health.
The more comfortable the barn, the more often and the longer cows will lie down. And the more hours they spend lying, the less stress is placed on their hooves. In addition to lameness negatively affecting animal welfare, hoof problems also lead to high costs and reduced production. The solution to a large part of the hoof problems in your barn literally lies in the cubicle.
Monitor lying behavior and hoof health with the Cow Comfort Index (CCI)
The Cow Comfort Index (CCI) is a benchmark used to measure barn comfort. The higher the CCI, the more comfortable the barn. By using comfortable barn design products, such as spacious cubicles and high-quality bedding, this score increases. Research shows that a high CCI, meaning many cows are lying down, is associated with fewer lame cows. So, the more cows lie down, the less lameness occurs.
Optimal cubicle dimensions: more space, fewer hoof problems
An ideal day for a cow consists of resting for more than half the day—on average about 12 to 14 hours per day. During this time, she lies down and stands up around 12 to 15 times a day. Given her weight, this is quite an effort. When standing up, a cow moves her head forward to reduce pressure on her hindquarters, making it easier to rise. She then takes a step forward.
During this movement, a cow uses approximately 96 cm of extra space to stand up. With a body space requirement of 190 cm and head space of 43 cm, a cow needs about 329 cm in total to be able to stand up comfortably.
Prevent lameness: hoof health starts in the cubicle
In addition to length, the width of a cubicle is also essential. A comfortable cubicle is twice as wide as a cow’s hip width. A dry cow requires an additional 10 cm of space. When cubicles are wide enough, cows can lie next to each other without difficulty or interference. This increases the number of lying hours.
Prevent lameness in dairy cows: the role of overstocking and lying comfort
It is also important to avoid overstocking in the barn. When there are too few lying places due to overstocking, cows spend fewer hours lying down. This negatively affects hoof health and increases the risk of lameness.
That is why it is crucial to closely monitor the lying behavior of your cows. In a comfortable barn, more cows are lying down. This reduces the load on the hooves and helps prevent hoof problems. More comfort therefore means healthier cows with fewer hoof issues.
Take control of hoof health
Would you like to provide your cows with a proven, more comfortable barn and structurally reduce lameness?
