Monitoring Indices of Cow Comfort in Free-Stall-Housed Dairy Herds*

From: Journal of Dairy Science | Date: November 1, 2005| Author: Bennett, T B; Nordlund, K V; Cook, N B | Copyright information

ABSTRACT

Indices of cow comfort are used widely by consultants in the dairy industry, with a general understanding that they are representative of lying behavior. This study examines the influence of stall base type (sand or a geotextile mattress filled with rubber crumbs) and time of measurement on 4 indices of comfort collected at hourly intervals in 12 herds, aligned by morning and afternoon milking. Stall base type significantly influenced all indices of comfort. For example, the l...

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