Check cubicle size is right for your cows!

If you’ve not checked or modified your cubicles for some time, it may be worth a measure up. Are your cubicles the right size for your cows? The dimensions of the bed may be resulting in dirty cubicles if too long – or cow comfort can be impaired if too short.

Brushing down dirty cubicles

You wouldn’t put clean sheets on a dirty bed, would you? Make sure you scrape down the beds well, removing any muck and wet patches before reapplying your clean, dry bedding material. If you have lots of cubicles, why not consider a mechanical bedding machine to brush down and distribute your bedding – making the job quicker and easier?!

Bedding – choose a clean and dry option that will stay in cubicles..

When it comes to your bedding – make sure to choose a clean, dry and soft option, which isn’t going to go solid in the cubicle, but won’t get dragged into the passageway either. Consider your cubicle surface. Mats or mattresses provide comfort, so only a dusting of an absorbent cubicle conditioner is required.

For concrete or earth cubicles, some cushioning is required, so find a bedding with some substance to it- to use as a deep bedding. For example, our Mixbed – a blend of sawdust for absorbency, and shavings adding a comfortable lying surface.

Scrape out the passageways regularly to prevent muck on hooves being dragged into cubicles.

It’s all well and good having clean cubicles, but if the passageway is deep in muck, they’re not going to stay that way for very long! Regularly scrape out your shed to keep cubicles clean as well as improving hoof health.

Nutrition

Stage of lactation and nutritional status can affect the consistency of cow muck. Talk with your cow nutritionist about formulating rations to prevent very thin faeces. When this is the case, cows can get soiled tails that cause dirty flanks and udders, putting them at risk of mastitis.

One size doesn’t quite fit all. Use your own judgement too!

Don’t forget, there isn’t a one size fits all. Different days and different herds will require different housing management.

Check the forecast! In wet  weather, particularly in open or exposed sheds, slightly more bedding may be required to keep cubicles clean and dry! Likewise, for high yielders where there’s likely to be more leaked milk, a little extra bedding won’t go a miss!

Got questions about your bedding or keeping your cubicles clean and dry? Why not speak with our team on livechat, or get in touch via our ‘Contact us’ page. Read about our full range of bedding products here…