PHOTO: HENK RISWICK
Grass was found to be the opti- mal surface, al- though re- searchers said it was logical to think that poorly maintained pas- ture would lose the optimal bal- ance of the hoof horn wear and growth, in addi- tion to the natural claw load.
quality of grass, it was logical to think that poorly maintained pasture would lose the optimal balance of the hoof horn wear and growth, in addition to the natural claw load. There- fore, the grass surface property, in this case, could resemble asphalt (i.e. higher abrasion, affecting the claw conformation) or concrete (i.e. lower load distribution, causing slipping and stiff gait). In addition, grass is not always available as a sur- face for free-housing systems, either for climatic or economic reasons, creating the need for alternative surfaces that pro- vide the best standards of animal welfare. Overall, this analy- sis may provide crucial information for the future engineering of artificially improved soil surfaces.
Sand According to the study, sand appears to be the best natural alternative housing surface to grass, as it presents excellent results in navigation and acceptable ranges in movement ca- pacity. They also found that the prevalence of lameness (5– 21.5%) is nearly as low as grass. Nevertheless, it presents the inconvenience of causing a higher metabolic cost for move- ment. With respect to management, however, implementa- tion poses strategic challenges. The frequent need for sand renewal implies finding solutions for good access to natural sources of sand, and it requires special manure handling, which consumes time and money. Thus, it is important to continue the search for artificial alternatives that could mimic the benefits of natural surfaces.
Rubber Rubber appeared to be an acceptable artificial surface, but the friction property was a notable weakness. Lameness prevalence range on rubber surfaces is between 5% and 27.9%. The researchers pointed out that most studies report values around 20% as well as lower annual milk production than on sand, with no significant difference to that reported for hard and abrasive surfaces such as asphalt and concrete. However, rubber remains an interesting alternative surface to the natural ones, if the following considerations are observed: (a) providing optimal mechanical properties of friction, stiff- ness and deformation, and (b) landscape design with
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elements that help to familiarise the animal (since studies show that most cows are not confident on rubber surfaces).
Asphalt Asphalt was reported to be highly abrasive for hooves. The al- teration to movement parameters that this surface generates, given its high abrasion and the discomfort it causes to the an- imal, makes the use of this surface in free housing of dairy cows not recommended. This situation is also confirmed by the high prevalence of lameness, which fluctuates between 13.3% and 40.9%.
Concrete Concrete is the most used type of surface in livestock man- agement due to its long-term durability and ease of cleaning. However, on this surface, the highest prevalence of lameness is reported (19.8–68.4%). Several claw disorders are observed more frequently with this type of flooring. Overall, this sur- face shows the worst indicators of movement, navigation and recovery capacities; it generates insecurity, high metabolic cost and hoof stress.
Material properties and design Besides evaluating different types of flooring systems, the researchers emphasised the importance of considering sur- face material properties and the design of the flooring sys- tem. The properties stated include friction, elasticity and heat flux (rate of heat energy transfer through a given sur- face). “Besides the material, the surface design must facilitate easy cleaning, be durable and include an effective drainage system, among other factors,” they said. They also suggested future research focus on the interaction of friction, elasticity and heat flux on the animal’s internal state and its various movement parameters.
This article is based on the original article by Medina-González P, K. Moreno and M. Gómez. 2022. Why Is the Grass the Best Sur- face to Prevent Lameness? Integrative Analysis of Functional Ranges as a Key for Dairy Cows’ Welfare. Animals, Vol 12, 2022, 496./10.3390/ani12040496.
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