#UPGRADE GROOVE AGENT 4 TO 5 HOW TO#
Then this information can be used to determine how to best apply grooves or patterns to a concrete surface. In determining how to best provide traction for cows, the recommended dimensions, orientation, and configuration of grooves and patterns should be known. While this may be acceptable in some cases, it is generally best if the design of the floor finish is based on enhancing the traction offered to the cow by maximizing characteristics of the cow’s sole that are largely responsible for her overall stability. In many cases, the method employed to provide traction for cows is based on a producer’s or contractor’s individual experiences and preferences and/or the tools currently in-hand to accomplish the task. In special instances, anti-slip aggregates applied to the concrete surface and epoxy floor coatings can also be utilized. Traction by the cow is traditionally provided by creating parallel grooves or groove patterns in the concrete surface. Concrete is attractive to use because it is durable, economical, relatively easy to place, conforms to irregular areas well, and can be finished in various ways to provide some level of traction to dairy cows. Proper groove width, spacing, and depth.īy far, the most prevalent flooring surface in new and older barns alike is cast-in-place concrete.Smooth groove edges with a right angle between the groove and the floor surface, and.Rough finished floors will speed foot wear by up to 20 percent, with cows being culled in three weeks of new barn occupancy due to lameness (Bray, 1998).ĭesirable characteristics of a grooved concrete floor include: Experience has shown that the finish on a floor is often the biggest mistake made during barn construction. There is a fine line between a concrete floor surface that is too rough and causes injury due to abrasion and one that is too smooth and causes injury because of inadequate footing. Cows and Concrete FloorsĬoncrete floors that are roughened in an attempt to preclude slippage can wear hooves excessively, and smooth floors do not offer sufficient traction. Please check this link first if you are interested in organic or specialty dairy production. This will ensure that original floor characteristics will last for some time. provides confident and comfortable footing, andĪdditionally, intuition tells us that at least a portion, if not all, of the flooring surface should have resilient characteristics in order to offer a cow reprieve from hard concrete.įloors also need to be designed and constructed so they are structurally sound.provides a relatively dry walking surface,.Characteristics of a floor that can be used to define it as cow-friendly include a floor that: Poor-quality floors can be a major contributor to lameness.Įxperience has shown that attention to detail is required during the construction process to provide a cow-friendly floor. Lameness has been shown to be followed by delayed estrus, poor breeding performance, shortened lactation, low yield of milk fat, and a sudden drop in body weight (Dewes, 1978), all of which cost the dairy producer money.
When lameness is not controlled, dairy producers suffer substantial economic loss. Lameness is a consistent problem with confined dairy cows and represents one of the major reasons cows are culled from the herd. Cows housed in modern freestall barns spend 10 to 12 hours per day on their feet. One of the major aspects is the flooring system employed. Many aspects of a dairy cow housing barn influence the overall environment experienced by the cows.
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