Rörelsemönster och golvrenhet på två olika slags spaltgolv i lösdrift för mjölkkor
About 80 % of all Swedish dairy cows are kept in tie-stalls, but loose housing is increasing, probably because it is more profitable for the farmer. The design of the floors is of cruicial importance to the cows well-being. Traditionally, the most common type of floor in the alleys of a cubicle syst...
| Autor principal: | |
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| Formato: | L3 |
| Lenguaje: | sueco Inglés |
| Publicado: |
SLU/Dept. of Animal Environment and Health (until 231231)
2003
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| Materias: |
| _version_ | 1855571734418161664 |
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| author | Rosbacke, Carina |
| author_browse | Rosbacke, Carina |
| author_facet | Rosbacke, Carina |
| author_sort | Rosbacke, Carina |
| collection | Epsilon Archive for Student Projects |
| description | About 80 % of all Swedish dairy cows are kept in tie-stalls, but loose housing is increasing, probably because it is more profitable for the farmer. The design of the floors is of cruicial importance to the cows well-being. Traditionally, the most common type of floor in the alleys of a cubicle system still is a slatted manure-draining floor made of concrete. The typical Swedish design has 125-mm slats and 40-mm slots, maximally. With too wide slots, there is an increased risk of injuries to the claws when the cow makes a hasty move. On top of that, there will be too little support for the claws, leading to injuries. A dirty floor can also increase the risk of hygiene-related diseases, mainly dermatitis and heel horn erosion, which in severe cases even may cause lameness. It has been shown earlier that by reducing the slots from 40 to 30 mm one can still achieve a good drainage. This increases the support of the claws and thus decreases the risk of traumatic injuries.
The aim of the present study was to test a modified slatted concrete floor (100-mm slats and 30-mm slots) in a full-scale experiment, by comparing the cows locomotion and the floor's cleanliness to a conventional (125/40-mm) slatted floor. The trial was conducted at a commercial dairy farm with cubicle housing and two compartments of equal size and design. In the beginning of the grazing period, approx. 4 months before grouping and housing of cows, the modified floor was put in the alley of one of the compartments. Apart from the type of floor, the two compartments were comparable with respect to housing design and management routines. All cows were Swedish Holsteins and were assigned randomly to the two compartments at housing.
A test track was prepared in the alley in each of the compartments. The floor was covered with a mixture of lime and manure and then one cow at the time passed and had her passing time recorded. From the footprints, step length, stride length, step angle, overlap and step abduction were measured. The assymetry (absolute difference between left and right step length) and average speed were calculated. Each one of the seven traits was analysed using a mixed random-intercept model, specifying floor type as the only fixed effect and cow identity as random. Floor cleanliness was studied by collecting and weighing the manure on top of the slats in six 60 x 80-cm test squares in each compartment before cleaning and 1, 2, 4 and 8 days after cleaning (new cleaning for each observation). Three squares were placed in the centre of the alley and three at the edges, behind the cubicles. The amount of manure was analysed using multiple regression, including floor type, location in alley, interaction between floor type and location, and time (1, 2, ≥4 days) as categorical variables in the model.
The cows had longer steps (+2.7 cm, P=0.006) and strides (+4.5 cm, P=0.002) and the amount of manure was smaller at the edges of the alley (-464 g, P=0.001) on the modified floor than on the conventional floor. The amount of manure increased with time. I conclude that the cows get a slightly altered locomotion on a 100/30-mm slatted floor, compared to a conventional 125/40-mm floor, suggesting a slightly more comfortable gait, and that the modified floor is as clean as the conventional one, and even cleaner at the edges of the alley. |
| format | L3 |
| id | RepoSLU10691 |
| institution | Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences |
| language | swe Inglés |
| publishDate | 2003 |
| publishDateSort | 2003 |
| publisher | SLU/Dept. of Animal Environment and Health (until 231231) |
| publisherStr | SLU/Dept. of Animal Environment and Health (until 231231) |
| record_format | eprints |
| spelling | RepoSLU106912017-09-13T11:18:38Z Rörelsemönster och golvrenhet på två olika slags spaltgolv i lösdrift för mjölkkor Locomotion and floor cleanliness on two types of slatted floors in loose housing for dairy cows Rosbacke, Carina rörelsemönster renhet klövhälsa spaltgolv mjölkkor lösdrift About 80 % of all Swedish dairy cows are kept in tie-stalls, but loose housing is increasing, probably because it is more profitable for the farmer. The design of the floors is of cruicial importance to the cows well-being. Traditionally, the most common type of floor in the alleys of a cubicle system still is a slatted manure-draining floor made of concrete. The typical Swedish design has 125-mm slats and 40-mm slots, maximally. With too wide slots, there is an increased risk of injuries to the claws when the cow makes a hasty move. On top of that, there will be too little support for the claws, leading to injuries. A dirty floor can also increase the risk of hygiene-related diseases, mainly dermatitis and heel horn erosion, which in severe cases even may cause lameness. It has been shown earlier that by reducing the slots from 40 to 30 mm one can still achieve a good drainage. This increases the support of the claws and thus decreases the risk of traumatic injuries. The aim of the present study was to test a modified slatted concrete floor (100-mm slats and 30-mm slots) in a full-scale experiment, by comparing the cows locomotion and the floor's cleanliness to a conventional (125/40-mm) slatted floor. The trial was conducted at a commercial dairy farm with cubicle housing and two compartments of equal size and design. In the beginning of the grazing period, approx. 4 months before grouping and housing of cows, the modified floor was put in the alley of one of the compartments. Apart from the type of floor, the two compartments were comparable with respect to housing design and management routines. All cows were Swedish Holsteins and were assigned randomly to the two compartments at housing. A test track was prepared in the alley in each of the compartments. The floor was covered with a mixture of lime and manure and then one cow at the time passed and had her passing time recorded. From the footprints, step length, stride length, step angle, overlap and step abduction were measured. The assymetry (absolute difference between left and right step length) and average speed were calculated. Each one of the seven traits was analysed using a mixed random-intercept model, specifying floor type as the only fixed effect and cow identity as random. Floor cleanliness was studied by collecting and weighing the manure on top of the slats in six 60 x 80-cm test squares in each compartment before cleaning and 1, 2, 4 and 8 days after cleaning (new cleaning for each observation). Three squares were placed in the centre of the alley and three at the edges, behind the cubicles. The amount of manure was analysed using multiple regression, including floor type, location in alley, interaction between floor type and location, and time (1, 2, ≥4 days) as categorical variables in the model. The cows had longer steps (+2.7 cm, P=0.006) and strides (+4.5 cm, P=0.002) and the amount of manure was smaller at the edges of the alley (-464 g, P=0.001) on the modified floor than on the conventional floor. The amount of manure increased with time. I conclude that the cows get a slightly altered locomotion on a 100/30-mm slatted floor, compared to a conventional 125/40-mm floor, suggesting a slightly more comfortable gait, and that the modified floor is as clean as the conventional one, and even cleaner at the edges of the alley. I Sverige är ca 80 % av mjölkkorna uppbundna, men trenden går alltmer mot olika former av lösdriftssystem eftersom det är mer ekonomiskt fördelaktigt. Golvets utformning spelar stor roll för kornas välfärd. Av tradition är den vanligaste typen av golv i gångarna i liggbåsstallar ett gödseldränerande spaltgolv gjort av betong. Det typiska svenska utförandet är med 125 mm breda stavelement och maximalt 40 mm breda spaltöppningar. Med alltför vida spaltöppningar ökar risken för klövskador vid hastiga rörelser. Dessutom får klövarna ett alltför litet understöd och skador kan uppstå till följd av felbelastningen. Ett alltför smutsigt golv gör att de hygienrelaterade klövsjukdomarna, främst eksem och klövröta, ökar och i grava fall till och med kan göra kon halt. Tidigare försök har visat att man genom att minska spaltvidden från 40 till 30 mm kan bibehålla gott dränage. Detta ökar dessutom klövarnas understöd och minskar således risken för traumatiska skador. Syftet med föreliggande studie var att i ett fullskaleexperiment testa ett modifierat spaltgolv av betong (100 mm stavbredd och 30 mm spaltvidd) genom att jämföra det med ett konventionellt spaltgolv (125/40 mm) med avseende på kornas rörelsemönster och golvets renhet. Försöket utfördes i en bruksbesättning i ett liggbåsstall med två avdelningar av samma storlek och utförande. I början av betesperioden, ca 4 månader före installning och gruppering, lades det nya spaltgolvet in i gången i den ena avdelningens liggbåsdel. Med undantag av golvtypen var de två avdelningarna likvärdiga vad gäller stallutförande och skötsel. Alla kor var av SLB-ras och fördelades slumpmässigt mellan de två avdelningarna vid installning. En testbana iordningställdes i gången i var och en av avdelningarna. Golvet täcktes med en blandning av kalk och gödsel, varefter en ko åt gången fick passera och tiden noterades. Från fotavtrycken uppmättes steglängd, dubbelsteglängd, stegvinkel, övertramp och abduktion. Asymmetri (absolut differens mellan vänster och höger steglängd) och medelhastighet beräknades. Var och en av de sju utkomsterna analyserades med hjälp av en s k �mixed random-intercept�-modell, med golvtyp som enda �fixed effect� och koidentitet som �random effect�. Golvets renhet studerades genom att samla in och väga gödseln ovanpå stavarna i sex 60 x 80 cm provrutor i varje avdelning, dels före rengöring och dels 1, 2, 4 och 8 dygn efter rengöring (ny rengöring för varje mätning). Tre provytor placerades mitt i gången och tre intill kanten, bakom liggbåsen. Gödselmängden analyserades med hjälp av multipel regression, med golvtyp, placering i gången, interaktionen mellan golv och placering samt tidpunkt (1, 2, ≥4 dagar) som kategoriska variabler i modellen. Korna hade längre steg (+2,7 cm, P=0,006) och dubbelsteg (+4,5 cm, P=0,002) och i kanten av gången var mängden gödsel mindre (-464 g, P=0,001) på det modifierade golvet än på det konventionella. Gödselmängden ökade med tiden. Jag konkluderar att korna får ett något förändrat rörelsemönster på ett 100/30 mm spaltgolv jämfört med ett konventionellt (125/40 mm) spaltgolv, vilket antyder en något bekvämare gång, samt att renheten bibehålls på det modifierade golvet, som till och med är renare än det konventionella golvet i kanten av gången. SLU/Dept. of Animal Environment and Health (until 231231) 2003 L3 swe eng https://stud.epsilon.slu.se/10691/ |
| spellingShingle | rörelsemönster renhet klövhälsa spaltgolv mjölkkor lösdrift Rosbacke, Carina Rörelsemönster och golvrenhet på två olika slags spaltgolv i lösdrift för mjölkkor |
| title | Rörelsemönster och golvrenhet på två olika slags spaltgolv i lösdrift för mjölkkor |
| title_full | Rörelsemönster och golvrenhet på två olika slags spaltgolv i lösdrift för mjölkkor |
| title_fullStr | Rörelsemönster och golvrenhet på två olika slags spaltgolv i lösdrift för mjölkkor |
| title_full_unstemmed | Rörelsemönster och golvrenhet på två olika slags spaltgolv i lösdrift för mjölkkor |
| title_short | Rörelsemönster och golvrenhet på två olika slags spaltgolv i lösdrift för mjölkkor |
| title_sort | rörelsemönster och golvrenhet på två olika slags spaltgolv i lösdrift för mjölkkor |
| topic | rörelsemönster renhet klövhälsa spaltgolv mjölkkor lösdrift |