Special Cows Need Special Places

All cows on a dairy farm are important, but a small percentage of cows require extra special attention. At any one time approximately 10 -12 percent of the cows in a dairy herd may require special care due to expected occurrences such as drying off, calving, routine health and management care or unplanned health needs due to illness or injury. The cost or value of the time of the people who work with special cows is also important so the facility should encourage good and prompt cow care by making it convenient and safe for one person to identify, isolate, restrain and care for these cows. Prompt and appropriate care of special cows results in more comfortable and productive cows.

The period of time from a few days before calving until 1 -3 weeks post calving is especially important for the health and productivity of a cow throughout her lactation. Prompt proper care during this critical transition period in a cow’s annual life cycle can be considered the foundation on which a cow builds a profitable lactation and provides a healthy replacement animal.

The most important consideration in designing for special cows is flexibility and multi-use. The needs of herds will vary from herd to herd, throughout any given year and also the life of a dairy (brand new, expanding, young herd, older herd…) and based on varying outside influences in any given year. Basic items such as pens, bedded pack housing, freestall housing and working lanes can often be used for more than one task. 6

Special needs animals are potential sources of diseases and can also be most at risk from disease so biosecurity is an important consideration when planning for these animals.

There are two general categories of biosecurity:

1. Keeping diseases from entering the farm through animals from off the farm, herd health providers, delivery vehicles, equipment and visitors.
2. Preventing on-farm spread of disease among different groups of animals.

Cows that are under stress because of calving, illness or injury will benefit from having a low stress living area, consider the following items when planning for special cows:

• Small number of cows in a group
• Free movement without being jostled and shoved by other cows
• Easy access to fresh feed and water anytime
• Confident, slip free walking conditions
• Clean dry well bedded resting area
• Plenty of space in freestalls or on a bedded pack to recline and rise again
• Freestalls and pack space enough to always have a place to lie down
• Plenty of fresh dry air
• Dry draft free conditions in the winter time
• A shady breezy location during hot weather

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Robert E. Graves

Agricultural, Biological, Engineering Extension