Associations of freestall design and cleanliness with cow lying behavior, hygiene, lameness, and risk of high somatic cell count

The objective of this study was to investigate associations freestall design and cleanliness with cow lying behavior, hygiene, lameness, risk new high somatic cell count (SCC). Cows from 18 commercial dairy herds (22 ± 15 cows/farm; mean SD) in Ontario, Canada, were enrolled a longitudinal study. Four hundred focal cows that <120 d milk, had no mastitis treatment the last 3 mo, an SCC <100,000 cells/mL at their most recent milk test selected for Data on collected through Dairy Herd Improvement Association testing (at ~5-wk intervals). Each farm visited 5 (mean after each until tests completed (~105 d), total observation periods per cow. Elevated used as indicator subclinical mastitis. An incident defined having >200,000 end period, when beginning period. Lying behavior recorded 6 sampling, using electronic data loggers. scored during period lameness (5-point scale, scores ?3 = lame), body condition score (BCS; 5-point scale; 1 thin fat), hygiene (4-point scale). Stall assessed 1.20 × 1.65-m metal grid, containing 88 squares. grid centered between stall partitions every tenth farm, squares visible urine or fecal matter (or both) counted. Cow time averaged 10.9 1.9 h/d. On average, low BCS (?2.5) spent 37 16.6 min/d less down than high-BCS (?4.0). tended spend 36 18.3 more deep-bedded versus mattress-based stalls. Mean proportion soiled 20.1 0.50%. Across farms, decreased increased. A difference daily ~80 modeled housed barns cleanest stalls compared those dirtiest Higher neck rail height [for SD (10 cm) increase] increased odds (odds ratio 1.5) dirty upper leg–flank udder. leg–flank, udder, lower legs 1.5, 2.0, times greater, respectively, dirtier Also, farms 1.3 greater being lame observation. Over 50 high-SCC cases detected, resulting incidence rate 0.45 cow-year risk. No measured factors detected be associated SCC. Overall, our results confirm lie longer cleaner comfortable environments. Further, these highlight need improved optimize potentially reduce lameness.