What the Welfare Rules Mean for Farmers and Suppliers Choosing the right calf housing is not only a practical decision, it also affects welfare standards and regulatory compliance. For UK farms, calf housing regulations means meeting specific welfare requirements that govern space, social contact, hygiene, and calf development. Compliance affects day-to-day management for farmers and […]
Practical Ways to Keep Calves Comfortable As temperatures rise, calf housing needs to do more than provide shelter. Ventilation, humidity control, airflow, and shade all play a role in keeping calves comfortable, maintaining feed intake and reducing environmental stress. Warm conditions can quickly increase pressure inside poorly ventilated housing. Damp bedding, stale air, and heat […]
Supporting Cow Welfare in Warmer Weather Grooming is a natural behaviour for dairy cows, but housed systems do not always provide opportunities for animals to scratch, clean, and stimulate hard-to-reach areas. Cow brushes help fill that gap by encouraging natural grooming behaviour, helping cows stay cleaner, calmer, and more comfortable while supporting day-to-day herd management. […]
High-traffic hotspots so cows will actually use them Scratch brushes are a simple way to improve cow comfort and welfare, yet many farms install them in locations where cows rarely use them. A brush placed in a quiet corner of the shed may look like a good addition on paper, but if cows do not […]
Executive Summary Each spring, dairy farmers across the UK prepare for one of the most important nutritional changes in the production year: transition feeding when turning cows out to grass. Moving from a silage-based diet to fresh pasture offers major cost advantages. Grazed grass remains one of the cheapest sources of energy available to dairy farms. […]
Where rubber flooring or cubicle upgrades pay back quickest before grazing. Spring is one of the most demanding periods of the year for dairy cows. Turnout is often inconsistent, with wet weather and changing ground conditions meaning cows spend more time on concrete and in cubicles than many farms might anticipate. Instead of moving steadily […]
What is best for spring calving herds? Focusing on rubber flooring and improved cubicle design. Executive Summary Spring Turnout Spring turnout is one of the most important management transitions in the dairy calendar. Moving cows from winter housing onto fresh grass can significantly reduce feed costs, but it also introduces nutritional and health challenges that […]
Executive Summary Why Housing Conditions Influence Grazing Success Spring turnout marks a major shift in the dairy production cycle. Cows move from winter housing onto grazing pasture, walking further distances and adapting to a different diet. However, the success of the grazing season often depends on something much less visible: how comfortable cows were during […]
Executive Summary Cow comfort is still too often framed as a welfare issue, something important but secondary to production. That mindset is quietly costing dairy farms money every day. In reality, cow comfort is an operational performance issue. It directly affects milk yield consistency, feed efficiency, fertility, health costs and labour demand. Farms with poor […]
Executive Summary Independent dairy research consistently shows lameness prevalence as one of the top three welfare and productivity issues on commercial farms. Lameness remains one of the most persistent challenges facing modern dairy farms. It affects cow welfare, milk production and long-term herd performance, and for many producers it can feel difficult to tackle once it […]
