In dairy farming, everything revolves around keeping cows healthy and productive. But did you know that something as seemingly simple as lying comfort can significantly boost milk production? More hours spent lying down improve blood circulation to the udder and increase rumen activity, both of which lead to higher milk yields. Cows that can lie down comfortably produce more milk. In this article, you’ll discover how lying comfort improves both the welfare and profitability of your herd, and how you can easily influence it.
Lying behaviour and milk production: how more rest leads to more milk
A dairy cow ideally lies down 12 to 14 hours a day. With proper lying comfort, a cow lies for about 30–45 minutes at a time. Throughout the day, she stands up and lies back down around 12 times. Research shows that each additional hour of lying can produce up to 1.59 kg of extra milk per cow per day. The more comfortably a cow can lie down, the more rest she gets and the better she performs. It is therefore crucial that she can easily stand up and lie down again. Make this movement as effortless for the cow as possible.
What determines good lying comfort in dairy cattle?
As mentioned above, it’s important that a cow is eager to lie down in the stall, can stand up easily, and therefore accumulates many hours of rest. This is healthy lying behaviour, and only then will milk production increase. The following factors play a key role:
Enough lying places: reduce stress and increase milk production
When there are enough lying spaces for the number of cows in the barn (preferably at least one per cow), competition and stress decrease. As a result, cows lie down more quickly. This supports healthy lying behaviour: 12–14 hours of rest per day, and standing up around 12 times a day.
A comfortable surface stimulates lying and improves milk production
A comfortable surface encourages cows to lie down more often. A soft surface prevents joint pain and pressure points, increasing lying comfort. The more comfortable the surface, the more often cows choose to lie down—which is beneficial, because each extra hour of lying can yield up to 1.59 kg more milk per day!
These factors work together. For example, even with a perfectly comfortable surface, a cow still won’t show healthy lying behaviour if the stall is too small for her to stand up easily.
To increase milk production, an optimal lying space is essential:
Provide enough space for the cow to lie down and stand up easily
Ensure sufficient lying stalls: at least one per cow
Offer a comfortable surface that encourages lying and provides grip for standing up
Maintain hygiene in the stalls: promotes health and thus milk production
Curious how much one extra hour of lying time per cow could generate annually for your farm?
Calculate it with our profit calculator!
The Meadow Mesa cow mattress: developed for many comfortable lying hours
For dairy farmers who want to invest in comfort, the new Meadow Mesa cow mattress offers a smart solution. This mattress is specially designed to stimulate cow lying behaviour.
It consists of an 8 cm thick latex foam mattress, which moulds to the cow's body. This ensures excellent pressure distribution and optimal support. The cow lies comfortably and gets up again easily, thanks to the rubber top mat with extra grip.
Thanks to the resilient latex, the mattress returns to its original shape every time - even after years of intensive use. The top mat is also easy to clean and prevents accumulation of dirt and bacteria.
