This article is part 1 in a multiple part series on rubber flooring for dairy cows. Also see part 2 on the technical aspects of resurfacing your dairy flooring and part 3 on installation and maintenance of dairy flooring.
Most dairy producers consider rubber flooring for holding pens, lanes and alleys a too-pricey luxury.
But an analysis developed by Brian Holmes, a University of Wisconsin ag engineer, suggests a second look. “For the few cases that I’ve run through the analysis so far, adding rubber mats turns out to be a no-brainer,” he says. “It pays for itself easily when the benefits are taken into consideration.”
Benefits of rubber mats for dairy cows
The benefits of rubber flooring: less lameness, better reproduction and possibly more milk per cow.
But there are pitfalls as well, Holmes says. For example, if your freestalls are uncomfortable, cows could opt to lie in alleys on the rubber mats. And that could spark a rise in somatic cell counts and mastitis.
In addition, if lameness or reproduction isn’t a problem in your herd, adding rubber flooring probably won’t be of much noticeable benefit. “Cows will stand more in the feed alley when rubber is laid down,” Holmes acknowledges. “But research shows they won’t eat any more feed; they simply stand less in stalls.”
Strategic prioritization of high-traffic areas
If you have to prioritize, put rubber flooring in places where cows do a lot of walking, turning and pivoting: in walk lanes to the parlor, the holding pen, the parlor and return lanes.
Holmes has not made the analysis publicly available because it takes a bit of time to understand. But he is willing to work with dairy producers who want to run the numbers on their facilities.
“If you can tell me what the numbers are, I can evaluate if rubber flooring is cost-effective in your facility,” he says.
To determine if rubber flooring is cost-beneficial for your dairy cows, you’ll need the following:
- The area of rubber you want to install.
- The installation cost of the rubber per square foot.
- The rates of improvement you expect in lameness and reproduction in your herd.
Other considerations when installing rubber flooring include: labor rates, savings in hoof treatment time, percentage of cows with locomotion scores of 1 to 5, value of improved days open and medication costs.
When you have that information, you can contact Holmes at brian.holmes@wisc.edu.
Interested in researching further? A number of studies have been conducted on the benefits of rubber flooring for dairy cows:
