Check light is right for winter housing

With only a few weeks until the clocks go back and cows are brought in for the winter, now is the time to check that housing lighting is in good working order, says DairyCo extension officer Judith Stafford.

“Cows need an adequate amount of light to allow them to move confidently around the building and see their food.

“When you get the lighting right, cows are more likely to feel confident in their surroundings so there is a greater chance of them showing signs of heat.” And it will also be easier to observe bulling cows and pick up on any signs of ill health.

It is worth making the most of natural lighting to enhance artificial lighting inside buildings, so ensure skylights are clear, and check that lights are maintained and free of dust and dirt.

“Research points to the benefits of artificially creating a longer day length, which is particularly important as winter approaches. As a rough guide, there should be enough light to allow you to identify individual cows, or read a newspaper,” explains Ms Stafford.

“Exposing lactating cows to 16 hours of daylight at levels of at least 200 lux has been found to increase milk yields. But don’t make the mistake of lighting only the feed passage. The whole shed needs to be equally well lit to achieve any benefit so the correct positioning of lights is very important.”

Equally it has been found that cows need a dark period so, during the night, only low level lighting is needed. This should be sufficient enough for cows to be able to find their feed, water and beds.