Refinement of international recommendations for cubicles, based on the identification of associations between cubicle characteristics and dairy cow welfare measures

摘要

Maladjusted cubicles for dairy cattle may cause increasedskin alterations, lameness, and dirtiness. The InternationalCommission of Agricultural and BiosystemsEngineering has produced several recommendations forcubicle design, but a previous study showed that notall of them seem efficient. Here, we aim to refine andcomplete these recommendations. We collected data on76 dairy farms (2,404 cows). We modeled the associationbetween combinations of cubicle properties (e.g.,type of bedding litter) and dimensions (e.g., cubiclewidth) relative to cow size, and prevalence of cow skinalterations, lameness, and dirtiness. We used weightedmultivariable logistic regression models to predict thepresence of skin alteration on the carpus; the neck,shoulder, and back; the flank, side, and udder; and thetarsus or hindquarters. We also evaluated the presenceof lameness as well as the dirtiness of the lower hindlegs including hocks; the hindquarters, upper hind legs,and flank; the cow rear including tail; and the udder.The risk factors highlighted led us to recommend (1)position cubicles in a way that leaves more than 1 mof clearance from any obstacle in front of the cubicle;(2) if there is an obstacle on the lateral plane (i.e.,where the cubicle partition is) in front ahead of thecow, put the obstacle in front of the fore knees; (3) ifthere is an obstacle in front of the cow on the medianplane (e.g., neck or front rail), the position the obstaclebetween 1.25 and 1.5 of the cow length from the curband between 1.0 and 1.25 of its height; (4) use curbheight between 0.11 and 0.15 of cow height with nosharp edges on the curb; (5) use round or at least hasno sharp edges brisket board; (6) use a stone-free soilinstead of concrete or use a mattress thicker than 1 cm,with microrelief, and a soft fixing area at the curb, (7)litter with straw (rather than nothing or sawdust) andkeep it dry. This risk factor analysis should be followedby experiments in controlled environments to furthervalidate these conclusions and used to update the InternationalCommission of Agricultural and BiosystemsEngineering recommendations.