<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>A new housing technology double-chamber cow waterbeds should provide the animals with greater comfort improve their health and increase milk production. The study was carried out in the stable for dairy cows and heifers. They were stabled in free-stall housing. Rubber mattresses had been replaced with double-chamber cow waterbeds. The aim of the study was to determine their effect on comfort, health, occurrence of mastitis, count of somatic cells, total milk production. The study confirmed the reduction of number of animals with injuries of feet and incidence of mastitis. The values of somatic cells in milk were constant. Positive effect was shown with fluent increase in milk production. It increased the number of cows and heifers lying in the boxes.</p></abstract>

A new housing technology double-chamber cow waterbeds should provide the animals with greater comfort improve their health and increase milk production. The study was carried out in the stable for dairy cows and heifers. They were stabled in free-stall housing. Rubber mattresses had been replaced with double-chamber cow waterbeds. The aim of the study was to determine their effect on comfort, health, occurrence of mastitis, count of somatic cells, total milk production. The study confirmed the reduction of number of animals with injuries of feet and incidence of mastitis. The values of somatic cells in milk were constant. Positive effect was shown with fluent increase in milk production. It increased the number of cows and heifers lying in the boxes.

EFFECT OF THE NEW TECHNOLOGY OF CATTLE HOUSING WATERBEDS ON COMFORT, HEALTH AND MILK PRODUCTION

University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Veterinary Sciences and Product Quality, 370 05, Studentská 13, České Budějovice, Czech Republic

Animal Production Research Centre Nitra, Slovak Republic

Acta Universitatis Cibiniensis. Series E: Food Technology

A new housing technology double-chamber cow waterbeds should provide the animals with greater comfort improve their health and increase milk production. The...

EFFECT OF THE NEW TECHNOLOGY OF CATTLE HOUSING WATERBEDS ON COMFORT, HEALTH AND MILK PRODUCTION

Published Online: Dec 31, 2013

Page range: 37 - 46

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/aucft-2013-0010

This content is open access.