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What happens with cow behavior when replacing concrete slatted floor by rubber coating: a case study
1Department of Veterinary Science, Chair of Animal Welfare, Ethology, Animal Hygiene, and Animal Housing, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians University, Munich, Germany. Siegfried.platz@tierhyg.vetmed.uni-muenchen.de
Journal of Dairy Science
|February 23, 2008
Summary
Replacing concrete slatted floors with rubber mats in dairy barns significantly improved cow behavior. Rubber flooring enhanced walking, estrus, and hygiene behaviors, contributing to better animal welfare and productivity.
Area of Science:
- Animal Science
- Veterinary Medicine
- Agricultural Engineering
Background:
- Dairy husbandry aims to enhance productive life cycles and animal welfare.
- Flooring type significantly impacts dairy cow behavior and well-being.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the effects of replacing concrete slatted flooring with rubber mats on dairy cow behavior.
- To evaluate changes in estrus, hygiene, and walking behaviors.
Main Methods:
- Video observation of estrus (mounting) and hygiene behaviors (licking) in 50 loose-housed Brown Swiss dairy cows.
- Analysis of walking behavior using still photographs and pedometers before and after floor replacement.
- Stepwise replacement of concrete slatted flooring with rubber mats.
Main Results:
- Rubber flooring increased step length (70 cm vs 58 cm) and daily steps (5,611 vs 4,226).
- Mounting behavior significantly increased on rubber mats (112 vs 23 observations).
- Hygiene behaviors (licking) increased up to fourfold; slipping during mounting occurred only on concrete.
Conclusions:
- Rubber-coated slatted floors improve dairy cow behavior compared to concrete flooring.
- Estrus and hygiene behavior are linked to flooring type, aiding welfare assessments.
- Optimizing flooring is a practical approach to enhance dairy cattle welfare.
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