Dairy cow preference for a soft track surface

Authors: Taylor OD, Gregory NG
Publication: New Zealand Veterinary Journal, Volume 50, Issue 2, pp 83, Apr 2002
Publisher: Taylor and Francis

Animal type: Cattle, Livestock, Production animal, Ruminant
Subject Terms: Animal welfare, Behaviour, Hoof/claw, Limb - lower, Locomotor, Disease/defect
Article class: Correspondence

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Abstract: As dairy herds get larger cows have to walk further, and foot care becomes more important. Lameness from bruising of the soles of the feet is a particular hazard (Tranter and Morris 1991), especially on hard tracks with loose angular stones or grit (Clackson and Ward 1991). One way of reducing this problem might be to provide an overlay of woodchips on top of the normal hard track. This would provide a softer grit-free surface, which could be more comfortable for the cows. We established a demonstration site which looked at the durability of a woodchip overlay, as well as cow preference for the woodchips in comparison with a normal hard track surface. This note presents the findings from the cow preference study.

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