By Fournier, A., Producteur de Lait Quebecois, 1995
Description
Stalls with concrete floors which are covered with an inadequate quantity of litter have been associated with swelling, bruising and wounds on cows' limbs; when wet they can also be slippery. Using rubber mats on the floors of stalls gives a better foothold, and a level of comfort somewhere between cement and a plastic 'mattress' packed with litter. A table is used to illustrate the correlation between the type of floor surface of stalls and the length of time cows spend lying down per day, an indication of their level of comfort. Different types of mattress are compared. Alfa Laval markets the 'Eva' brand rubber mat, which has a level of comfort between that of an ordinary rubber mat and that of straw litter. There are various types of mattress available, designed either to cover individual stalls or several at once, and containing a variety of fillings, including sawdust, straw, or small granules of tyres. The 'Pasture Mat' mattress contains granulated tyres in a wax-coated, compartmentalized woven polyester-nylon cover. The cover 'breathes', preventing the accumulation of moisture under the mattress. This system permits a saving of approximately 50% in the cost of bedding straw. These mats are guaranteed for three years, but may last longer. A table is used to compare costs of different types of mattress. Use of measures such as this to improve the comfort of stalls, together with ensuring that stalls are clean and of an appropriate size, plays a major role in reducing the incidence of hoof disorders, mastitis and culling
Stalls with concrete floors which are covered with an inadequate quantity of litter have been associated with swelling, bruising and wounds on cows' limbs; when wet they can also be slippery. Using rubber mats on the floors of stalls gives a better foothold, and a level of comfort somewhere between cement and a plastic 'mattress' packed with litter. A table is used to illustrate the correlation between the type of floor surface of stalls and the length of time cows spend lying down per day, an indication of their level of comfort. Different types of mattress are compared. Alfa Laval markets the 'Eva' brand rubber mat, which has a level of comfort between that of an ordinary rubber mat and that of straw litter. There are various types of mattress available, designed either to cover individual stalls or several at once, and containing a variety of fillings, including sawdust, straw, or small granules of tyres. The 'Pasture Mat' mattress contains granulated tyres in a wax-coated, compartmentalized woven polyester-nylon cover. The cover 'breathes', preventing the accumulation of moisture under the mattress. This system permits a saving of approximately 50% in the cost of bedding straw. These mats are guaranteed for three years, but may last longer. A table is used to compare costs of different types of mattress. Use of measures such as this to improve the comfort of stalls, together with ensuring that stalls are clean and of an appropriate size, plays a major role in reducing the incidence of hoof disorders, mastitis and culling
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