Animal
Management
Cow Comfort Focus
Bob Kaiser
Department of Dairy Science
University of Wisconsin – Madison
University of Wisconsin –
Extension
Dairy Animal Management
Plan “Needs of the
Manager”
Define management groups and number
in group
Housing facilities – existing and new
Environment “physical”
Environment “social” – pen moves
Nutrition
Health care
Manure handling
Determine features that meet these
needs / wants
Prioritize the list of features
Dairy Animal Management
Plan
“Needs of the Animal”
Safe, comfortable and healthy
environment
Space to rest and walk
Clean and dry resting space
Fresh air (ventilation)
Adequate feed and water
Exercise (interaction with herd mates)
Protection from temperature extremes
Outline
Grouping Strategies
Body Condition Score
Cow Cleanliness
Heat Stress
Locomotion
Stall Usage
Grouping Options
Milking Groups Dry Cows
Post-Fresh (10-14d) Far-off
40 days based on Close-up
milking frequency Steam-up
High/Low group One Group
1st lactation High energy diet
2nd and greater Maternity area
DIM Separate steam-up
Slow, Lame, SCC for heifers
Outline
Grouping Strategies
Body Condition Score She is perfect!
A BCS of 3.25, 75
Cow Cleanliness DIM and ready to
breed!
Heat Stress
Locomotion
Stall Usage
Body Condition Score
Scale from 1 to 5 with 0.25 increments
BCS 1 = very thin
BCS 5 = obese
Link to disease / metabolic disorders
BCS 1 displaced abomasum, severe
acidosis
BCS 4.5 - 5 fatty cow syndrome (ketosis)
Low milk production - heifers
One BCS equals about 54 kg of body weight
(Holsteins)
Body Condition Score 1
Body Condition Score 2
Body Condition Score 3
Body Condition Score 4
Body Condition Score 5
Body Condition Score
When to score?
Dry off
Calving
6 wks post-calving
150 - 200 DIM
Use BCS to monitor nutrition and
reproduction
Maintain BCS during dry period
Minimize drop in BCS post-calving
Associated with reproductive efficiency
No more than 0.5 point drop in BCS at peak milk
BCS and % Anovular Cows
90
80
70
60
50
% Anovular
% Anovular
40
30
20
10
0
≤2.50 2.75 3 3.25 ≥3.25
BCS
Wiltbank
BCS is a management
tool that has to be
utilized and not stored
away to work effectively.
Individual cow BCS is
used to evaluate group
performance.
Outline
Grouping Strategies
Body Condition Score
Cow Cleanliness
Heat Stress
Locomotion
Stall Usage
Evaluation
CLEAN of Udder
DIRTY
Hygiene
Udder Flaming
Singe udder hair to promote:
Cleaner udders
Improved milking speed
Lower SCC
Flame 3X / year
Use torch, cool yellow-orange 10 – 15
cm flame
Remove loose straw, dirt and manure
before flaming udders
Outline
Grouping Strategies
Body Condition Score
Cow Cleanliness
Heat Stress
Locomotion
Stall Usage
Heat Stress
THI = Temperature Humidity Index
Calculated from ambient air
temperature and relative humidity
Heat stress is an index
Different for every animal
Dependent upon animal access to water
and shade; ventilation, cooling, ration,
fly control, etc.
In Hot Weather Provide
Cows with:
Shade
Fresh air
Fresh water
Mechanical ventilation supplements
& enhances
Natural air currents
(velocity)
Evaporative cooling
Ventilation
“Inadequate ventilation is the most common mistake
made in barns”
Provides air exchanges Condensation
Removes moisture
Reduces concentration Fresh Air
of airborne pathogens
Removes noxious gases Moisture
Prevents drafts Pathogens
Ammonia
Reduces condensation H2S
(Odor)
Ventilation
Design
Supplemental
cooling
Sprinklers
(evaporation)
Fans (air velocity)
Heat Stress Affects Cows
by:
Respiration rate
Respiration rate
Water intake
Dry mater intake
Milk production
Reproductive
performance
Stand rather than lay
Seek shade or low
light intensity
Effect of Sprinkling
Frequency and
Supplemental Air Velocity
110
100
Breaths/Minute
90
Control
80 C+F
70 1/10 + F
60 1/ 5 + F
50
40
Minutes from Start of Observation
KSU Cow Comfort Consortium 2001 (Brouk, M.J., J.F. Smith and J.P. Harner, III)
Minimize Heat Stress
Shade, 15 – 17 square m / cow, 3.6 – 4.9
m high
Slant roof to allow sunshine to creep under
as day progresses to dry ground
(pasture/dry lot)
Holding area, pens and parlor exit
Fans
Sprinklers
Always offer clean fresh WATER
Shade
Parlor exits
Pens
Minimize Heat Stress
Nutritional management
Certain feedstuffs require more energy to
digest than others
Avoid over feeding protein - energy required to
metabolize excess protein
Fat
Increase energy intake
Cottonseed, soybeans, tallow
Minerals
Panting, perspiration and excess urination
adversely affect mineral balances and blood
pH
Minimize Heat Stress
Provide fresh feed
Prevent heating
Promote intake by feeding more
than once daily
Pushing up feed may promote intake
Pushing up feed exposes feed to heating
Emphasis on maintaining DMI
Granny’s Lifetime
Outline
Credits:
5,279 DIM 208,024
Grouping kg Milk
Body Condition 7,001
Scorekg Fat 5,845
kg Protein
Cow Cleanliness
Heat Stress Born 1/24/86 Died
6/6/06
Locomotion
Stall Usage National Milk Production
Leader
Lameness
What Factors play a role in
Lameness?
Genetics
Feet and Legs
Environment
Disease
Nutrition
Injury
Lameness - Genetics
Minimum foot angle of 45o
Selection through breeding
Measured from the front of hoof
Correlation to herd life
Positive correlation on foot angle and
herd life
Lameness - Environment
Floor surfaces
Too rough
Too slick
Too wet
Softer feet more prone to injuries
Easier penetration of hoof tissue
Improper wear
Soft feet grow faster
Lameness - Disease
Reduction of blood flow to hoof
Inflammation of hoof = laminitis
Locomotion Scoring
Outline
Grouping
Body Condition Score
Cow Cleanliness
Heat Stress
Locomotion
Stall Usage
Proper Stall Design Should
Provide
a Cow with the Ability to:
Stretch their front 2002)
(Anderson, feet forward
Lie on their sides, with
unobstructed space for neck and
head
Rest head against their side
without hindrance from a
partition
Stand or lie without fear or pain
from neck rails, partitions or
Lunge
and Head
bob space
Body
Wall space
space
Alley
Stall base
Sub base
Freestall Platform
Lunge and
Head space Body space
bob space
Neal Anderson
Head Body Space
Nec k Rail
Space
A
Deterrent
Lunge
Plumb Line of Curb Edge
mattres s surfac e
measured from
and 12"-14"
Bob
40" for open front s tall
C
Space
Post
10"-12" 2-3% slope down Mattres s
5"
to rear of stall
Curb
Stall Base Alley
10"-12"
Top of brisket Alley
locator maximum
4" above Sub Base
mattres s surfac e
B
Earth
Stall Length
8' for open front stall
9' for closed front s tall
Holstein Cow Weight A B C Width
First Lactation Cow 1300 lb. 68" 70" 48" 46"
Wall Milking Cow 1500 lb. 70" 72" 50" 46"-48"
Dry Cow 1600 lb. 70" 72" 50" 48"
Example Mattress Based Freestall Design
for Average Sized Holstein Cow
Suggested Freestall
Dimensions Cow mass (kg)
Dimension1 550 650 750
LS = total stall length 2
(cm) OF: 203 - 218 OF: 213 - 229 OF: 229 - 249
CF: 234 - 249 CF: 244 - 259 CF: 259 - 274
LH = head space length (cm) 43 46 48
LL=lunge space length (cm) 36 38 41
LN=length to neck rail (cm) 157 - 163 168 - 173 178 - 183
LB=length to brisket board (cm) 157 - 163 168 - 173 178 - 183
LP=stall partition length (cm) (LS - 36) to LS (LS - 36) to LS (LS - 36) to LS
HN=height from stall bed to neck 102 - 114 107 - 119 118 - 124
rail (cm)
HP=stall partition height (cm) 107 - 117 112 - 122 117 - 127
HB=brisket board height (cm) 10 - 15 10 - 15 10 - 15
HC=stall curb height (cm) 15 - 25 15 - 25 15 - 25
HE=stall entry height (cm) 15 - 30 15 - 30 15 - 30
HL1=lunge clearance, low (cm, 28 28 28
max) 1
top alley edge of curb is used as primary
HL2=lunge clearance,
reference line. upper (cm, 81 81 Adapted from
81 ASAE
min) 2
OF = open front type; CF = closed front 2001, Penn State
University
Cross Section Head-to-Head
Open Front Freestall with
Generous Bedding Layer
30 – 61 91 cm
cm
Cross Section Close Front
Freestall with Generous
Bedding Layer
91
30 – 61 cm
cm
Thoughts Regarding Stall Base
Selection
Cow preferences are important in the
selection of stall base types but you
should also consider:
Cow health (injury, mastitis, etc.)
Capital costs (initial cost, useful life,
maintenance requirements, etc.)
Labor costs
Bedding costs
Manure handling costs
Freestall Stall Base and
Bedding Type
Considerations
Cow Comfort – 10 cm of cushion
Cow cleanliness – absorption of
moisture
Ability to harbor and / or promote
growth of microorganisms that cause
mastitis
Ease and cost of maintenance
Manure handling implications
Potential for slipping, hock abrasions
and /or other injuries
Sand Based
Freestalls
Mattress
Based
Freestalls
Proper
Freestall
Design
Good Standing Position
Good Lying Position
Comfortable
Cows
Poor
Freestall
Design
Neck rail too lo
Stall too wide
Divider
too low
Lunge/bob
space barrier
Brisket
locator
tootoo
Sand level high
low
Platform too short
Improper freestall
design and
Thoughts Regarding
Freestall Design
Stall size trade off:
too small = cow not comfortable,
increased animal injuries, reduced lying
time which results in deceased
production
too large = dirty stalls, dirty cows,
increased stall maintenance, small cows
lay backward in stall
Different pens with different size
stalls reduces flexibility –
accommodates animals
Many different recommendations
Feed Space Design
Proper feed platform design
encourages intake
61 cm per animal recommended
If 38 to 46 cm, feed should always be
available
Pushing up feed 5 to 10 times / day
may DMI
122 cm of smooth eating surface
Eating surface elevation 8 to 15 cm
higher than cow’s standing elevation
Feed
Post
Space
Flat
floor
feeding
Postand rail Rai
fence l
Easy feed delivery
Easy bunk
management
Post and
rail
feed fence
18
cm Neck rail
is 122 cm
122
cm above
scrape
Feed
Space
Flat
floor
feeding
Headlock
fence
Easy feed delivery
Easy bunk
management
Allows cow
management
Water
Space
Access
Location
Two per pen
Design
Easy clean out
Water surface height
and space
Walking
Space
Adequate alley width
Access to:
Resting space
Feed and water
Non slip surface
Grooved concrete or
rubber
Questions?
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