The Freestall Reimagined: Effects on Stall Hygiene and Space Usage in Dairy Cattle.

ABSTRACT: Modern freestall barns for dairy cattle have been constructed with considerations for dairy cow cleanliness; partitions and other stall features such as neck rails are designed to reduce manure contamination of bedding and decrease farm labor. However, cows prefer to lie in more open spaces, including on bedded packs and pasture. We created an "alternative" housing area by modifying a traditional freestall pen and including flexible partitions to create larger lying areas. We assessed cattle lying behaviour, including lying postures, in this alternative pen (ALT) compared to an open pack (OP) and freestalls (FS) with different stocking densities. We also assessed levels of manure contamination across systems. Cleanliness was highest in FS, but ALT provided substantial improvement compared

SUBMITTER: Beaver A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8228901 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature