Improving the welfare of dairy cows

Without cows with healthy udders, you are nowhere as a dairy farmer! Good stable hygiene contributes to the prevention of infections such as mastitis and complaints such as milk leakage. These complaints are bad for the quality of milk yield, but also cause stress, discomfort and pain.

By offering the right cubicle covering for your cows, you make it easier for yourself to keep the cubicle clean. Our rubber cubicle covers are comfortable for the cow to lie on and easier to keep clean.

A cow may have hooves, but unlike other ungulates, it is not good at all for her to stand on them a lot. A cow prefers to lie down for about 14 to 17 hours a day, to chew the cud, doze and sleep. Standing too much leads to stress and circulation problems that cause swelling and claw problems.

That is why it is important to provide the cow with a comfortable bedding that she likes to lie on. Sand is the favorite bedding for cows, we provide high-quality furnishing of deep litter stables. A high-quality waterbed is the modern counterpart, which the cow likes to lie on just as much, but which is easier to keep clean.

There are several ways a cow could hurt itself in the stable. She can injure herself on protruding parts of fencing, slip on the concrete manure alley or fight over the best spot in the stable. She can also hurt herself if she doesn't have the right place to lie down. Cramped cubicles with concrete surfaces are a recipe for bald or swollen heels and knees.

DSD has stable equipment that reduces all these problems as much as possible. The most sophisticated cubicle partitions ensure that the cow can lie down unobstructed, for healthy joints. Walkway rubber prevents slipping and promotes natural behavior. Our feeding fences en fencing have been developed in such a way that they are safe for cows and farmers and are made in our own workshop to high standards.

Although a cow always looks so cheerful with her big brown eyes, she is very sensitive to stress. However, because she is a vulnerable prey animal, she will not show this.

There are many factors that cause stress and can therefore lower resistance. For example, a cow is very sensitive to heat and moisture. With the proper natural ventilation, supplemented with fans, a comfortable climate can be guaranteed all year round. She also benefits from a good day-night rhythm with a long day that simulates the carefree summer. Of smart lighting a twilight can also be added for even less stress.

Moreover, a cow benefits from routine; with smart design of the stable, a walking direction can be created that makes the cow happy. For example, after milking, a cow likes to walk straight to the water trough and then to the feeding fence.

A healthy cow produces healthy offspring. A healthy cow produces calves with a higher birth weight and produces more and higher quality colostrum. The cow can also transfer stress hormones that she produces during pregnancy to her calf. For example, as a result of heat stress.

The way in which the calf is kept and raised also influences its later life as a dairy cow. A good day-night rhythm with a long night ensures a lot of rest and better development. A clean, comfortable living environment is also very important for the calf's well-being. The right design makes it easier to achieve this.