Dairy Housing Design for Cow Comfort - David W

Dairy Housing Design
for
Cow Comfort
David W. Kammel
Biological Systems Engineering
UW Madison

Tie Stall Barn
Grazing Freestall and Parlor

The Design Process
Develop the dairy animal
management plan
Investigate and develop
alternative designs
Evaluate alternatives and options
Choose the “best” system design
Troubleshoot and
implement the design
Change
Parameters
Iterate
Design

Develop a Dairy Animal
Management Plan
Define management group and number in group
List Needs of Dairy animal
– Comfort
– Environment
– Nutrition
– Health Care
– Movement between groups
– Manure Handling
List Needs (and wants) of the Owner
Determine features that meet these needs and (wants)
Prioritize the list of features

Dairy Animal Management Group
A group of animals that have
similar needs such as:
– Nutrition
– Health
– Housing
– Environment

The planning process may
seem overwhelming

Dairy Animal Management Plan
“Needs Needs of the Animal” Animal
Provide a safe, comfortable, & healthy
environment
– Space to rest and walk
– Clean & dry resting space
– Fresh Air (Ventilation)
– Adequate feed and water
– Exercise (Activity)
– Manage Temperature extremes

Cow Comfort
Housing System Design which:
– Protects the cow from severe
environmental conditions
– Provides adequate space for resting,
eating, drinking, and walking
– Limits the likelihood of injury and/or
disease

Daily Activity
(Hours per Day)
Dairy Cow Daily Time Budget
24
22
20
18
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
2.5
4.3
2.8
2.4
12
Freestall Housing
2.6
3.8
1.6
4.4
11.7
3
3.5
1.4
6.1
10
3.3
4.7
2.3
1.7
12
3.2
4.6
2.2
2.1
12
2.7
5.1
1.8
1.8
12.8
1 2 3 1 2 3
Mattress freestall
Sand freestall
Locomotion Score (1-3)
Milking
Feeding
Standing in Alley
Standing in Stall
Lying

Dairy Animal Management Plan
“Needs Needs of the Owner” Owner
Safe & Labor efficient
– Observation, feeding, cleaning, handling &
treatment
Effectively utilize a farm’s resources
– Land
– Capital
– Labor
Environmentally friendly

Resting Space
Bedded Pen
Freestall platforms

Bedded Resting Barn Design
Rectangular Resting Space [

Bedded Pens
No Shelter (roof)
- Resting Space
- Walking Space
- Feeding Space
Natural and Artificial
Windbreaks provided

Bedded Pens
Shelter (roof)
- Resting Space
No Shelter
- Walking Space
- Feeding Space

Bedded Pens
Shelter (roof)
- Resting Space
- Feeding Space
No Shelter
-Walking Walking Space

Bedded Pens
Shelter (roof)
- Resting Space
- Feeding Space
- Walking Space

Bedded Pens
Shelter (roof)
- Resting Space
- Feeding Space
- Walking Space

Freestall Barn Design
Freestall cubicles in a row
Adjacent Alleys with Waterer
~4’ x 8’ (1.2m x 2.4 m) cubicle
resting space per cow
65'
49'
12 1/2' 96' 12 1/2'
W
30 FS @ 4'
Alley
24 FS @ 4'
Alley
Feed Lane
121'
W
9'
10'
16'
14'
16'

2 Row
Freestall Barn
Shelter (roof)
- Resting Space
- Walking Space
No Shelter (roof)
- Feeding Space
- Walking Space

2 Row
Freestall Barn
Shelter
- Resting Space
- Walking Space
- Feeding Space

3 Row
Freestall Barn
Shelter
- Resting Space
- Walking Space
- Feeding Space
Drive Thru
Feeding
Drive by
Feeding

4 and 6 Row
Freestall Barn
Shelter
- Resting Space
- Walking Space
- Feeding Space

Proper Stall Design Should Provide a
Cow with the Ability to:
(Anderson, 2002)
Stretch their front feet forward
Lie on their sides, with unobstructed space for neck and
head
Rest head against their sides without hindrance from a
partition
Rest with legs, udders, and tails on platform
Stand or lie without fear or pain from neck rails,
partitions, or supports
Rest on clean, dry, and comfortable bedding

Wall
Lunge
and
Bob
Space
Head
Space
Stall Base
Sub Base
Body Space
Free Stall Platform
Alley

Bob Lunge
Space
Head Space
Body Space
Neal Anderson

40" for open front stall
Wall
Post
Neck Rail
Deterrent
Lunge
and
Bob
Space
Top of brisket
locator maximum
4" above
mattress surface
Earth
Holstein Cow
Milking Cow
Head
Space
First Lactation Cow
Dry Cow
5"
C
measured from
mattress surface
10"-12"
Weight
1300 lb.
1500 lb.
1600 lb.
Sub Base
Body Space
Stall Length
Stall Base
8' for open front stall
9' for closed front stall
A B C
68" 70" 48"
70" 72" 50"
70" 72" 50"
2-3% slope down
to rear of stall
Width
46"
46"-48"
48"
Example Mattress Based Freestall Design
for Average Sized Holstein Cow
B
A
12"-14"
Plumb Line of Curb Edge
Mattress
10"-12"
Curb
Alley
Alley

Brisket
Locator
Neck Rail
Stall Base
Stall Loop
Divider
Curb
Grooved Alley

Stall Base Selection Thoughts
Selection of stall base types should be based on
more than just cow preference, you should also
consider:
cow health (hock abrasions, slipping, etc.)
capital cost (initial cost, useful life, maintenance
requirements, etc.)
labor cost
bedding costs
manure handling costs
management of sick animal costs

Freestall Stall Base and Bedding Type
Considerations
Cow comfort - 4” of cushion
Cow cleanliness - absorption of moisture
Ability to harbor and/or promote growth of mastitis
organisms
Ease and cost of maintenance
Manure handling implications
Potential for slipping, hock abrasion, swelling and
damage
Installation cost and life expectancy

Sand
Based
Freestall

Mattress
Based
Freestall

Proper Freestall Design
Good Standing Position
Good Lying Position

Big Cow
Proper Freestall Size
Little Cow

Curb
Adequate Neck Rail Height
Stall Loop Divider
Adequate Sand Base
Low Brisket Locator

Sand Level Too Low
Lunge/Bob
Space Barrier
Brisket Locator
Too High
Platform Too Short
Inadequate Free Stall Design
and Management

Poor
Freestall
Design
Divider too low
Stall too wide
Neck rail too low

Freestall Design Thoughts
Stall size trade off:
– too small = cow not comfortable, increased animal injuries,
reduced lying time which results in decreased production
– too large = dirty stalls, dirty cows, increased stall maintenance,
small cows lay backward in stall
Having different pens with different size stalls reduces
flexibility
Many different recommendations being made: Are they
research based and tested?

Feed Space Design
Feed Platform design encourages intake
24” per animal recommended
If 15-18”, feed should always be available
Pushing up feed 5-10 times/day may be needed
4’ of smooth eating surface
Eating surface elevation 4-6” higher than cow’s standing
elevation
If self-locks, tip out to increase feed access

Feed
Space
Flat floor feeding
Post and Rail Fence
Post
Rail
Easy feed delivery
Easy bunk management

200 мм
1200 мм
Post and Rail
Feed Fence

Feed Space
Flat floor feeding
Headlocks Fence
Easy feed delivery
Easy bunk management
Allows cow management

Water Space
Access
– Location
– Two per pen
Design
– Easy Cleanout
– Water Surface Height
– Water Space

Walking Space
Adequate Alley Width
Access to
– Resting Space
– Feed and Water
Non Slip Surface
– Concrete
– Rubber
– Grooved

Lighting
Long day lighting
- 16 hours light
- 8 hours dark
Cow observation
Lamps
- Metal halide
- Fluorescent
Illumination levels
Color characteristics

Manure Storage
Manure Push Off
Manure Spreader Parking

Manure Storage
3 м
1 м
11 м

Manure
Storage

Facility Design should:
Fit a management plan
Provide
– A clean, dry environment
– Plenty of fresh air, feed, and water
Be:
– Labor efficient
– Economical
– Safe for both workers and cows
– Environmentally friendly

Questions?