Using Indices of Cow Comfort to Predict Stall Use and Lameness

Abstract

The objective of this study was to measure several indices of cow comfort for one 24- hour period in the high-group pens of a selection of Wisconsin dairy herds using either sand or rubber-crumb-mattress surface free stalls, and to determine the most appropriate time of day for measurement in terms of their ability to predict cow behavior and lameness prevalence.