COW COMFORT impacts the cattle's wellbeing, efficiency, and primary concern. Each dairy administrator needs to keep their cattle comfortable and cheerful however it can be sometimes hard to do, particularly in the warm mid-year Summer months. To keep your cows healthy and beneficial consider these four tips to cow comfort:
Bedding: Out with the old, in with the new
When your cows are well-rested, they are more likely to stay on feed and maintain quality milk production. Have a look at where your cattle are hitting the hay and inspect the area for any spills, remove any decaying straw, and manure— make a note that dry bedding is the best bedding! Sand is a great option for deep-bedded stalls since it will be able to conform to the cow’s body— there’s also less bacterial growth in sand vs. other organic materials, which is always a great added advantage.
Water: keep it streaming
On a warm summer day, being thirsty can be as upsetting to cows as it is for human beings. With a normal dairy cow drinking up to 50 gallons of water each day, this number can practically be twofold during times of heat stress. Maintaining a constant supply of accessible fresh, clean water will help relieve your cow from any unnecessary discomfort.
Fly control: make an arrangement
Flies bite, disturb and cause pain to your cattle and workers the same. Reducing fly populations on dairy farms not only increases cow comfort but also drastically reduces the spread of disease pathogens. Implementing an integrated pest management (IPM) plan definitely decreases the spread of infectious microorganisms.
Barn: sweep and keep it clean
One of the most important steps in an IPM plan is maintaining your operation to keep the flies away and to provide a clean, comfortable living space for your cows. Always be keeping an eye out for any needed repairs and manage manure in a timely manner. Clean cows are happy cows.
with the above four tips, provide your cattle a better comfort zone for its overall well being