It’s no secret that dairy cattle need their rest, but there are many factors that can affect the cows’ willingness to lay down. The University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine hosts a dairy outreach program to educate farmers on welfare topics. This program, called the Dairyland Initiative, includes a podcast hosted by Outreach Specialist Courtney Halbach and Director Dr. Nigel Cook.
Halbach and Cook explained the importance of optimal rest in a recent episode of the “Dairyland Initiative Podcast.” Cook described optimal rest as “the number [of hours] that a cow can lay down when she wants to for as long as she needs to” – usually 12 hours per day for a healthy free-stall cow. Without optimal rest, farmers can expect both behavioral and physiological changes to occur.
There have been multiple studies done to show that sand bedding reduces lameness, hock soreness, knee injuries and increases laying time. In fact, Cook mentioned that two-thirds of the dairy industry in Wisconsin have been utilizing sand bedding over the past few years.
When choosing sand to add to your barn stalls, you must analyze the sand type for particle size and uniformity as well as quality.
Super-fine sand particles are a “red flag for us in sand management,” said Cook, as they tend to compact and prevent drainage. However, you also have to make sure the type of sand isn’t too coarse, as larger particles can lead to hoof and knee trauma. The sand should contain more than 95% dry matter and less than 4% organic matter.
A typical sand-bedded stall has an average depth of 18 inches. As cows lay down, they tend to bury themselves in a hole, making the sand levels uneven. It’s important to level the bed on a daily basis and fill the stalls once or twice a week.
Not all wet sand needs to be removed from the stalls. Typical wet sand will drain on its own, but sand contaminated with fecal matter or milk must be removed, as the organic material can lead to bacterial growth.
At least once a week, farmers should be taking a closer look under the layers of sand to look for the “black compaction zone.” This zone, which looks like black sand, can grow strep-like organisms that can cause mastitis if they come in contact with the cows’ teats. It’s critical to monitor this zone and refresh the sand on a regular basis.
Considering a lot of sand is necessary to fill these stalls, a lot of larger herds (those bigger than 1,000 head) recycle their sand using a settling lane system or mechanical system. These systems work to clean the sand so it can be used over again, but they do not kill pathogens that may be found in the sand.
When storing recycled sand, it’s important to keep it out of the cold, as it’s wet and susceptible to freezing.
Overall, sand bedding is a great option for dairy cattle in free-stalls, and it is considered “the gold standard” for Cook – as long as you manage the sand properly to keep it clean and full.
For more details on managing sand bedding in free-stalls, or to learn more from the “Dairyland Initiative Podcast,” visit youtube.com/@thedairylandinitiative/videos.
by Kelsi Devolve
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