Stand-off pad wintering system: effect of surface types on cow comfort and urination behaviour

Two consecutive experiments were conducted over four weeks during winter to investigate the effect of different stand-off pad surface types on dairy cow lying behaviour, cleanness and lameness scores, and urination frequency. In experiment one, 350 Friesian × Jersey, pregnant non-lactating dairy cows were blocked and assigned into five feeding and stand-off treatments: fodder beet grazed in situ with no stand-off (control); fodder beet grazed in situ and cows spend 17 hours on a woodchip stand-off (WCG); harvested fodder beet bulb fed in paddock and cows spend 17 hours on a woodchip stand-off (WCH); fodder beet grazed in situ and cows spend 17 hours on a 70-mm stone stand-off (S70); fodder beet grazed in situ and cows spend 17 hours on a 50-mm stone stand-off (S50). In experiment two, 156 Friesian × Jersey, pregnant non-lactating dairy cows were blocked and assigned into three treatments: control and WCG as described in experiment one, and a third geotextile ‘carpet’ stand-off for 17 hours (GC) with fodder beet grazed in situ. In experiment one, surface type had no effect on lying time (averaging at 10.1 hours), cleanness and lameness score, or urination behaviour. In experiment two, lying hours were greater (P=0.01) for cows on carpet (11.6) than woodchip (10.8). While current results showed slight or no effect of surface type on cow comfort and urination behaviour during winter, a longer study, covering the whole winter season, is required to confirm these results.