Out-wintering pads offer a viable ‘housing’ solution for dry cows
Take Home Message: Out wintered pads for dry cows, whether covered or not, result in similar dirtiness scores and udder health but with reduced costs compared to housing in cubicles, but must not be overstocked.
Dry cows stocked at a rate of 12m2/cow on out-wintering pads are unlikely to have udder health problems in the subsequent lactation. And provision of shelter and cleaning of the woodchips are management factors that help to keep cows clean when ‘housed’ on them.
These were just two of the findings of a study, carried out by scientists in Ireland, to look at the effect of out-wintering pad design on dirtiness score, somatic cell score and mastitis incidence in dairy cows.
Three woodchip out-wintering pad (OWP) designs and indoor cubicle housing were compared with regard to cow dirtiness scores during the winter housing period and udder health, during both the winter period and the following lactation, for spring-calving dairy cows.
The treatments were: an uncovered (UP) and covered (CP) OWP with a concrete feed apron; an uncovered OWP with self-feed silage pit provided directly on the woodchips (SP); and indoor cubicle housing (IC).
Data were compared during two years. Year one was a case study while year two was an experimental study. In year one, treatments were UP (space allowance of12m2/cow), CP (6m2/cow) and IC. In year two, all three OWP designs (12m2/cow) were compared with IC.
And cows were assigned to treatments at the end of lactation in the autumn, and remained there while dry until calving the following spring. Subsequently, all cows were at pasture during lactation.
“Our outcome measures for analysis were cow dirtiness score, somatic cell score (SCS) and incidence of clinical mastitis during the dry period and during lactation,” said Moorepark dairy production research centre’s Keelin O’Driscoll.
Quarter milk samples were also taken at drying off, calving and three weeks post partum in both study years, and at approximately 113 days in milk in year two.
Samples were analysed for presence of mastitis-causing agents and SCS was determined. Sub-clinical mastitis was diagnosed when cows had an SCS greater than 200,000 cells/ml, or California mastitis test greater than one in at least one quarter.
“And we found that in year one, cows in CP were dirtier than cows in the other two treatments. These animals also had the highest SCS during lactation and tended to have more mastitis-causing agents isolated from quarter milk samples,” said Dr O’Driscoll.
“In year two, when all cows were stocked at the same density, cows in the sheltered OWP, in other words CP, had similar dirtiness scores to cows in cubicles and significantly lower dirtiness scores than cows in the unsheltered OWP designs – UP and SP. But there were no effects on SCS or quarter sample results.
“Cleaning of OWPs stocked at 12m2/cow reduced cow dirtiness scores. But cleaning of CP in year one, when cows were stocked at 6m2/cow had no effect on dirtiness scores,” he added.
Download paper (pdf) Full details: O’Driscoll K, Boyle L, French P, Meaney B and Hanlon A: “The effect of out-wintering pad design on dirtiness score, somatic cell score and mastitis incidence in dairy cows.” ANIMAL 2: 912-920
