Dairy farms can often be a slippery place for both farmers and cows to work. Between the wet concrete and slick manure, it doesn’t take much for accidents or injuries to happen. For farmers, a good set of high-traction rubber boots will usually do the trick to help prevent a nosedive to the ground. Cows, however, require a different solution.
“Providing confident, non-skid footing for dairy cattle is vital to their health, performance, and well-being,” says Dan McFarland, an educator of agricultural engineering at Pennsylvania State University. “Cows require a good footing to comfortably move around the housing area, especially in areas where they change direction, express estrus, as well as, to and from the milking center.”
When new facilities are built, grooves are often placed within the concrete to help minimize slipping and ensure proper footing. Overtime, however, this traction can wear away, increasing the chances of cows injuring themselves.
“No matter how well alley surfaces are prepared initially, they will most likely need resurfacing periodically to minimize slipping, falling, and injury,” McFarland says. “Fortunately, there are methods available to recondition smooth, slippery cow alleys to again provide a sure footing.”
The most common forms of floor resurfacing include:
- Adding or re-cutting grooves.
- Milling the surface.
- Covering areas with rubber mats.
- Replacing old concrete.
Grooving
According to McFarland, grooving is usually the preferred method for creating and improving a floor surface for cows. Different patterns can quickly and easily be sawn into existing concrete to create better traction. Patterns often include:
- Parallel - Straight grooves are typically used with the traffic flow. Such as in alleys, breezeways, outdoor walkways from the barn to the parlor, outdoor yards.
- Diagonal – These grooves are often used on sloped surfaces or where animals are likely to make turns. An example of this would be going into and coming out of the holding area.
- Diamond - The diamond pattern is the most effective form of grooving as it consists of straight grooves and diagonal grooves, also known as a double cut. With the diamond pattern, the cows can get traction in any direction.
McFarland notes that no matter the pattern, grooves should be cut 1/2" wide by 1/2" deep and spaced 4" on center, creating a 3-1/2" wide tread. This ensures that the cows have enough textured surfaces to help prevent slips and falls.
Milling
Resurfacing floors by using the milling process allows producers to remove a thin layer of concrete typically 1/8” thick, commonly leaving a pattern that looks like corduroy. This form of resurfacing improves footing immediately, but typically wears away at a faster rate.
“Milling can be helpful in leveling rough, uneven concrete creating a suitable surface to add grooves,” McFarland says. “It can also be used to recondition a smooth, polished tread surface of grooved alleys exposing a ‘textured’ surface that can provide relatively good traction and support.”
Rubber Mats
Utilizing rubber mats is another way to improve cow footing while also maximizing cow comfort. However, this solution can sometimes be difficult to install and often comes with a hefty price tag.
“Materials providing the best cushion and traction seem more susceptible to damage from vehicle traffic,” McFarland notes. “Material expansion and contraction with temperature changes can lift sections at the seams making them vulnerable to scraper damages. Carefully following the manufacturer’s installation and anchoring instructions and limiting skid-steer turning will improve longevity.”
New Concrete
While resurfacing existing flooring is often the most economical way to improve traction, sometimes it is necessary to replace old flooring altogether.
“Occasionally cow alleys need to be replaced since they are cracked, broken, or have worn too thin and lost strength,” McFarland says. “For replacement floors, select a qualified concrete contractor to do the new alleys and make sure the concrete is placed on a stable base layer. Use an air entrained concrete mixture with a minimum strength of 3,500 pounds per square inch and adequate reinforcement. A nominal 4" thickness is adequate for most cow and vehicle traffic, but if truck or trailer loads of sand bedding will pass over them use a minimum thickness of 6".
For more Facility Focus stories, read:
- Facility Focus: Keys to Success for Calf Facilities Across the Country
- Facility Focus: Are Alley Scrapers Right for Your Dairy?
- Facility Focus: Back to the Curtain Management Basics
