Slip-resistant walking areas in the cattle house
Animal related criteria for sufficient slip resistance:
- Animals move quickly and confidently with long steps
- show unrestrained signs of oestrus
- often lick themselves on three legs
![licking on three legs more often on rubber flooring than on concrete floor licking on three legs more often on rubber flooring than on concrete floor]()
![mounting of dairy cows more often on rubber flooring than on concrete floor mounting of dairy cows more often on rubber flooring than on concrete floor]()
Source: Benz, “Elastische Beläge für Betonspaltenböden in Liegeboxenlaufställen”, Germany, 2002
Tips on improving slip resistance
(independent of technical specifications)
Avoid faeces drying
- scrapers must run at least 6 - 8 times per day
- with unevenness equip the cleaning flaps with rubber lips, brushes or something similar
- for cleaning, where necessary, additionally sprinkle with water (e.g. with direct sunlight or high air change rates)
- avoid understocking (e.g. dry cows)
- with pasture grazing (temporary cow absence) clean additionally
avoid smeary faeces consistency
- very liquid faeces result from crude fibre deficiency, feed change (grazing, green fodder) or freshly lactating cows
- clean more often if possible
check claw status
- no dirty clotted claw soles (e.g. through litter & lime / non-chopped straw as a slippery layer)
- correct claw form facilitates safe walking
- extended hoof wall and slope of the sole are important
Consideration: stressful situations can cause slipping
- entering or exiting the parlour/holding area
- running (e.g. in traffic lanes)
- adapting to a new environment /…
![coefficient of sliding friction - measuring slip-resistance: rubber flooring is more slip-resistant than concrete floor after 6 years in use coefficient of sliding friction - measuring slip-resistance: rubber flooring is more slip-resistant than concrete floor after 6 years in use]()
Harmless slipping also occurs among active animals in nature and does not make them lose confidence.
![harmless slipping of cows in nature harmless slipping of cows in nature]()
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