Freestall barns are constructed to provide cows with shelter from winter winds and summer solar radiation. But beyond that, for cows to meet their genetic production potentials and for farms to maximize profitability, cow comfort is of utmost importance.

The interaction between the foot of a dairy cow and the floor of the facility in which she is housed is one of the most important factors in an animal’s daily life, according to extension veterinarian and field investigator Ernest Hovingh of Penn State’s Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences.

Spreading hydrated lime where cows lay has been a common practice in the battle against mastitis since the 1940s. This form of disinfecting and drying the area below the bedding barrier to protect teats and udders from pathogens worked very well in a 1960s-style tiestall barn.

The world today seems to be moving at an increasingly rapid pace. Agriculture has seen more challenging times to remain profitable and sustainable. This pressure can affect our decisions when designing, building or modifying dairy facilities that can influence cow comfort. Providing adequate cow comfort has a direct impact on milk production, health, reproduction, longevity and profitability. This article will focus on some of the key areas including stall design, bedding, overcrowding and flooring.

Thirty years of standing over an air-hammer breaking out perfectly good dairy barn floors because the top eighth-of-an-inch on the surface is wrong gives someone a lot of time to think, “There has to be a better way!” Is it possible to install a floor texture to give livestock good traction without costing a lot of money, not creating problems with falls (too smooth) or hoof wear (too rough)? The answer is yes!