RED DEER — When Jake Philipsen built his new dairy, his first priority was the comfort of his cows.
“If I keep the cows in good shape, the rest will take care of itself,” said the 38-year-old Dutch immigrant.
Philipsen opened the barn doors to a tour after being in business only a month west of Bowden in central Alberta.
The barn, milking parlor and lagoon were built from scratch and all comply with the local municipality’s land use and environmental demands.
The lagoon has a 60-centimetre clay base lined with a polyethylene cover. The lagoon is big enough to hold 15 months worth of liquid manure from the 60 cows on site.
Read Also
Dry summer conditions can lead to poor water quality for livestock
Drought conditions in the Prairies has led to an decrease in water quality, and producers are being advised to closely monitor water quality for their animals.
This farm’s showcase is the milking parlor and open barn.
The milking parlor floor received a special coating to prevent cows from slipping as they enter and exit. The 1,858 sq. metre barn is wide open, allowing cows complete freedom of movement.
His cows were purchased in a dispersal sale and came from a free stall situation. Moving into an open barn was a major adjustment for them but Philipsen found they settled in well with no loss in milk production.
He believes this open barn will add years to his cows’ lives and subsequently keep them milking longer.
“It’s a cow friendly system. It all comes down to personal preference.”
Philipsen may be right, said Dan Weary, of the University of British Columbia animal welfare program.
Weary said comfortable surroundings for cows are linked to better milk production, generally improved health and longevity.
Rest and sleep are important for dairy cows. They need to be able to lie down to encourage milk production and growth hormones.
“When cows are lying down, we see increased rumination time and increased blood flow to the udder,” Weary said at the western Canadian dairy seminar held in Red Deer.
If they are uncomfortable or do not have enough room, they stand in the slurry in a cement-lined alley, which ultimately harms their feet.
Stall design affects cow behavior and the amount of time it spends lying down. Most stall designs were created with good intentions but there is little research into what benefits a cow or which it prefers.
“There are a bewildering number of recommendations regarding stall design,” said Weary.
Weary and other researchers also tested a variety of floor coverings: “The bedding surfaces we are providing for the cows affect the amount of time they spend lying down.”
In the Fraser Valley of B.C., sand has been recommended because it is thought to be cleaner and less prone to harboring bacteria. However, cows are not lying down on sand as often as they need to because they may not find it as comfortable as some other types of bedding.
Proper stall design and bedding can also prevent hock injuries. Lesions and sores on the hocks and swelling on the knees were most common among cows resting on rubber mats while those on sand experienced few injuries. Sawdust was somewhere in the middle.
Weary recommends producers reconsider stocking rates.
“There is a great temptation to overstock barns. We still don’t know what the effects are,” he said.
