Cleaner feet thanks to carpet Magellan
For dairy cows, foot cleanliness is an essential factor in their health. Dirt and dampness encourage the development of foot diseases and increase the risk of lameness. A cow with sore feet will move less and eat less, which is detrimental to her health and production. Often, foot problems and lameness open the door to other pathological or reproductive problems, due to a compromised immune status.
To be sure a foot is clean, simply check that the horn is clearly visible. On the dorsal side, the thick crust should never extend beyond the hairline. On the palmar side, the accessory hooves should remain clean. There should be no crust under the hoof.
More cleanliness, fewer slips
If soft floors are recommended for the comfort of feet and the safety of movement they provide, what about their impact on hygiene? To assess the impact of rubber mats on foot cleanliness, the Institut de l'Elevage conducted a study on three equipped farms in the Manche and Ille et Vilaine regions of France. These results were compared with those of the SOLVL study. This study assessed the sanitary, environmental and economic impact of different types of floor in dairy cow buildings, and drew up recommendations on the choice, renovation and maintenance of floors.
The results of the SOLVL project confirm that feet tend to be dirtier on carpets in slurry management than on other types of flooring, with 27.4% of dorsal surfaces and 35.6% of palmar surfaces very dirty, whereas the recommended level is less than 10%. This can be explained in part by poorly adapted floor maintenance for carpets (lack of scraping, change in scraping frequency). For the 87 farms evaluated in the SOLVL study, the result is that slatted floors give cleaner feet, with solid floors in manure management receiving the lowest scores.
" For our study, we assessed the degree of soiling of several areas of the body on three farms , equipped with mats Magellan. The cleanliness of the feet was better than the references in the SOLVL study," explains Alice Elvinger, who was in charge of animal health studies at the Institut de l'Elevage. The percentage of clean feet was higher than with standard mats. This cleanliness of the feet is beneficial to the health of the legs. On these three farms, over 45% of the animals had good legs, which reduced the incidence of lameness. None of the three farms equipped with Magellan mats exceeded the alert threshold of 30% of cows suffering from lameness .
This is due to the presence of slopes and drainage gullies on the Magellan carpet, which facilitate effluent elimination. The soil is therefore drier. Cows' feet have less contact with effluent. To combine the walking comfort of rubber mats with the cleanliness of the feet, the key to success is regular, effective cleaning. The study showed that the most effective cleaning is to have the scraper pass every 2 hours, or even every 1.5 hours. The scraper must also have been adapted for carpets, with the addition of rubber fingers. In areas where the scraper is not used, you need to ensure sufficient manual cleaning, so that the cows don't get dirty in these areas.
Up to 60% clean feet
In the three farms equipped with Magellan belts, the proportion of clean feet is higher than that observed in farms equipped with standard belts. The reference figure from the SOLVL study is 10% clean dorsal feet. Two of the three farms had between 50 and 60% clean back feet, while the3rd had 30%. After adjusting its scraper, one of the three farms even came close to an absence of very dirty feet.
