Description:
Free housing for dairy cattle could contribute to sustainable dairy farm systems. Therefore it's necessary to manage the new floor systems in a way to increase animal welfare and minimize risks for mastitis.
The main questions are:
- how to construct and manage the different bedding systems?
- what is the behaviour of the animals and the risks for mastitis?
Research objectives:
The objective is to gain insight into the application of new floor bedding systems for dairy cattle. These insight will be used to develop the free housing for dairy in a more sustainable farm system.
Research will be done on three beddings: sand, compost and dry soil. The measurements will focus on climate, hygiene of the bedding, behaviour of the cows and somatic cell counts of the milk.
Results and products:
Report of the practical experiences with new flooring materials in free walk dairy housing like sand, compost and sludge. The conclusions will show the perspective of these beddings. Recommendations will be given about the construction and management of the different beddings. |
