What if dairy productivity was also a question of soil?
When you consider that the leading cause of culling of dairy cows in France is related to leg problems, the farmer's gaze should immediately turn to the floor of his barn. Indeed, the risk of infection is never far from the floor of the barn, which can be a veritable breeding ground for bacteria, conducive to the appearance of panaritis or other digitis dermatitis. But it's above all the hardness of the floors in the corridors and concrete cubicles that is to blame. Unsuited to the physiology of the cows' feet, they weaken the dairy cows' legs, making them more susceptible to bacterial attack and then, through a domino effect, impacting on the productivity of the workshop. And what if contributing to the well-being of your cows meant reconsidering the quality of your barn surfaces?
Flexible flooring for healthy cow feet
Cows spend 8 to 12 hours a day on their feet. Simply placing their feet on a hard cement or asphalt floor causes shocks to the joints and consequent abrasion of the hooves. Repeated impact can lead to abnormal horn growth and the appearance of bony outgrowths responsible for chronic, often irreversible lameness. These traumas are even more pronounced in primiparous animals, which lack the genetic capacity to produce foot pads.
On hard soils, the slightest pebble can trigger foot pathology in dairy cows. Indeed, a small wound on a surface with a high infectious potential (numerous bacteria present in animal droppings) can quickly lead to lameness in the cow. Trimming is a one-off solution which, unfortunately, does not solve the problem at the root of the lameness: the hardness of the ground, which is not suited to the physiology of the cow's feet.
- The Bioret Agri solution: Magellan drainage matting is a flexible rubber covering installed on the floor of traffic lanes. The pressure exerted by the cows' feet is thus better distributed and shocks cushioned. Small stones fall into the grooves, preventing injuries.
Cleanliness of barn floors: what are the levers?
Even when automated and regular, cleaning with a scraper is not always sufficient. The floor of the barn often remains damp and slippery. The risk of falling and general discomfort for the cows, the stress generated by their simple movements in the barn impacts the quality of their feed intake, reducing the quantity absorbed and resulting in lower ration value. Cows' intranquillity also hampers the farmer's daily monitoring, for heat detection for example, and makes it more difficult to identify other pathologies.
- The Bioret Agri solution: The grooves in the Magellan belt allow continuous drainage of juices out of the building. The floor is dry and cows benefit from a more stable footing. Their feet are clean before they reach the cubicle.
Stabling: not all floor coverings are created equal
While slatted floors can provide a solution to some of the problems associated with the floors of livestock buildings, they are a poor response to current ecological issues. Indeed, the stagnation of dejecta under slatted floors leads to a 27% increase in ammonia emissions, with their consequent effect on stall odors. At a time when the European Commission is recommending a -13% reduction in NH3 emissions by 2030, rethinking the surface area of livestock buildings can become a real lever for action.
- The Bioret Agri solution : The Magellan belt reduces ammonia emissions by 40%, i.e. by up to 7.5 kg/year per cow. The impact is immediately measurable and long-lasting.
Founded by a dairy farmer and now run by his son, Bioret Agri designs innovative solutions to the problems faced by farmers on a daily basis. All the innovations in the Bioret Agri range take into account both animal welfare in livestock buildings and the economic stakes involved. Healthy cows mean lower veterinary costs, so you can make the most of your cows' 100% production potential.
