More exercise – more feed intake

Cows that like to move tend to feed more frequently

Certain behavioural parameters can provide information on whether cows can move about in the barn, fulfilling their natural needs. Poor walking comfort leads to idle standing, reducing among other things feed intake!

Cows move almost twice as much each day

It has been long shown that cows move about more on rubber flooring. Animals that are more active are also more productive and healthier, because they do not stand idle and refrain from important natural behaviours.

Platz et al., 2007

Step length similar to on natural soil

Step length reveals whether the animals feel secure when walking. Comparative measurements in cubicle barns show that cows take significantly larger steps on rubber than on concrete floors, comparable with step lengths of ca. 80 cm on natural soil.

Benz, 2002

More frequent feeding

Ruminants should consume their feed in smaller rations as often as possible in order to keep pH fluctuations in the rumen to a minimum. Cows move about more securely and pain-free on comfortable walking areas. This encourages them to feed more frequently.

Partes, 2004

"We’ve often noticed that our cows move more sprightly on soft walking areas – this shows us that they feel more secure and experience no pain
when they walk on the mats. Which is what we need to keep things running smoothly around our two milking robots."

Elisabeth and Johann Jäger, Fridolfing, Germany: slatted floor with profiKURA

Download KRAIBURG focus as PDF file:

More exercise – more feed intake (109 kB)