The quality of a cow's lying surface is crucial to her well-being and milk production. When a cow is lying down, mammary blood flow increases by 25-50%. To give your cows the best possible chance of producing, you need to provide them with a sufficient number of comfortable, hygienic lying places, adapted to the largest cows in the herd, whatever their preferred lying position.
With this in mind, livestock equipment specialist Bioret has developed the Aquastar mattress to enhance a cubicle. A 70 mm water pocket rests on a 35 mm-thick latex underlay, so that each cow can find her sleeping position, whatever her morphology, while benefiting from even pressure over her entire body.
This improves the cow's blood circulation, which in turn boosts milk production. Independent studies have shown that Aquastar mattresses deliver longer lying cycles than conventional bedding, increasing milk production by 1 to 3.5 liters per day.
For added comfort, the peach-skin finish of the mattress surface protects cattle's feet from abrasion, reducing friction.
The cooling solution for hot weather
As the water pocket creates a slope towards the rear, the natural flow of liquids is encouraged. The mattress surface is easy to clean, and a daily addition of 300 g of chopped straw is all that's needed to keep the cubicle clean.
Cows are housed in a healthy environment, avoiding injuries and heatstroke. In fact, the water pocket also ensures thermal exchange, reducing heat stress for the animals in the summer months. " There are no longer any cows lying in the corridor even when it's hot ", confirms David Forget, a breeder in Loire-Atlantique, whose cubicle barn has been equipped with Aquastar mattresses for several years.
It was this objective, to provide the cows in his herd with the best possible sleeping comfort, that prompted Hugo Lucas, a breeder in the Côtes d'Armor region, to install Aquastar water mattresses in the cubicles when building a new stall in 2020. " The cows seem to like it," says the young breeder, who points to the absence of bedsores since the cubicles were fitted with mattresses Aquastar.
If you invest in their well-being and comfort, the cows return the favor," says Hugo Lucas. Without changing their diet, we've gained 2 to 3 kilos of milk per cow by putting them in good conditions in our new building. " Healthy, productive cows are proof that the farmer has made the right choices in terms of bedding, focusing on their comfort.