Building design has a big impact on production

The substantial impact building design and layout have on feed intakes and milk production is given relatively little attention, even when new buildings are being planned.

Minimum welfare standards for feed barrier space and cubicle sizing might be a good starting point, but may still be holding back cow performance.

When cows can’t breathe, rest, feed or walk comfortably and without restriction, they’re likely to eat less and produce less milk, states KW technical manager Michael Marsden.

“Most dairy producers are aware of the importance of providing free access to fresh, clean drinking water – milk is 87% water – but how many really focus on optimising every aspect of building design and layout to maximise feed intakes and milk production?”

Dr Marsden recommends starting with the feeding area, which is often easiest to change. Better access to fresh feed, unimpeded by “bully” cows, will help lift overall herd intakes – one 2004 trial found that increasing available feeding space from 0.5m a cow to 1m a cow, for example, produced a 57% reduction in aggressive interactions and a 24% increase in time spent feeding.

Wider passageways further reduce the likelihood of bullying, though if too wide can end up drying out and becoming too slippery. An Australian vet trial concluded that dairy cows demonstrate only mild avoidance of passageways containing excreta, but strongly avoid passageways without lighting.

“Cows will be reluctant to go anywhere they can’t easily spot and avoid ‘predators’, which nowadays means bully cows,” continues Dr Marsden. “When feeding areas are too narrow or poorly lit, the intakes of subordinate cows will be much lower.

“The design of the feed area is also important, with individual ‘headlock’-style barriers tending to reduce cow aggression compared to simple post-and-rail type arrangements. A well thought-out feed trough or passage will also allow quick and easy removal of leftovers before new feed is delivered, which helps keep feed as fresh and appetising as possible.”

Cubicle shape, size and design can also have a major impact on both the amount of time a cow spends lying down, and on how reluctant she is to get up to feed. Wider cubicles reduce the disturbance from neighbouring cows, but are not always well suited to smaller heifers, with many designs allowing insufficient space for the cow’s natural movements when lying or rising.

“Having a one-size-fits-all approach to cubicles is probably a problem for many herds. Maybe heifers need to be larger at calving – an issue that relates to heifer rearing – or if possible housed separately. It makes no sense to set cubicles up so heifers use them properly, and end up making them overly restrictive for the other 70-80% of the herd.”

Time spent lying is crucial to milk production, with the resulting increase in blood flow through the arteries of the udder – perhaps 24-28% greater – worth up to 1.5 litres of milk for every additional hour spent resting. The aim should be for 12 hours a day spent lying down, with studies showing that it’s only on sand-bedded surfaces that cows consistently achieve this target.

“Sand bedding also facilitates the natural rising and lying movements of the cow, and tends produce fewer lame cows (by as much as 42%). Any reduction in lameness through better building design will inevitably improve access and time spent feeding,” adds Dr Marsden.

A move from rubber mattresses to sand bedding was high on the list of priorities when North Yorkshire dairy farmer James Simpson designed a new building to house 160 of his 330 milkers.

Other key features of the new building at Gildersbeck Farm, near Leyburn, are a feed barrier incorporating individual yolks, three walk-through points from the cubicle area to the feed area and a 4.85m (16ft) wide passageway where the cows feed. The cubicle passageway is 4.25m (14ft) wide.

“The sand bedding will make the cows more comfortable and help cut mastitis – and hopefully culling rate too – with the building layout giving plenty of room for the cows to walk about and avoid bullies,” states Mr Simpson. “We push the feed up about six times a day to encourage the cows to eat, and feed leftovers can be easily scraped away every day.”

In other buildings, the cows are fed in troughs – the feed is always within reach, but leftovers have to be shovelled out by hand each morning. Cows are rationed to minimise leftovers, but this inevitably means they sometimes run out.

“In the new building, we can feed 200kg more than the cows will eat, knowing it’s easy to clean away before feeding. It means fresh feed is always available,” Mr Simpson adds.