Sand calving pens raise health status
7 December 2001
Sand calving pens raise health status
DEEP litter straw yards are unsuitable for calving down modern dairy cows often increasing risk of high milk cell count and poor calf health, warns an independent housing specialist.
According to Shrops-based consultant John Hughes, calving pens should be bedded down with sand and top-dressed with a thin layer of straw to increase the health status of both cow and calf.
Speaking at a recent Intervet-sponsored winter housing meeting, organised by the Daleside Vet Group, Mr Hughes said deep litter straw yards were like putting blotting paper over a pile of muck.
"Its quite possible for temperatures in the old, moist bedding below the surface to reach 50C – just the right environment for germs and bacteria to thrive. Where you have cows urinating up to 70 litres/day, the heat simply pushes most of the moisture back to the surface.
"I honestly believe that the present day cow should not be calved on a straw bed. Ideally, before calving she should be on a sand-bedded cubicle. When she does calve move her into a yard bedded down with 6in of sand covered with a thin layer of straw and dont over stock them," he advised.
Sand is inert, doesnt ferment or bring heat and moisture up to the surface, he added. When the top straw is changed regularly and sand replaced quarterly between calving groups the pen will be a safe, sterile environment.
"In a matter of weeks, I have seen producers reduce cell counts and E coli significantly by switching to sand-bedded calving yards."
Where solid floor yards are used for calving, Mr Hughes suggested laying sleepers across the front of the pen to retain sand. Similar tactics could be used for creating sand-bedded cubicles. However, in both scenarios the step down from sand to the passageway should not be too high. *