Cubicle housing is often discussed and disputed on what the best set-up and lay-out is for cow flow, cow comfort, adequate cow space and feeding space.
Comfortable, clean and spacious housing with enough feeding space is essential for optimal cow performance and hygiene during the winter months.
The reality is, that farmers now have to prepare for seven-month winters and this means that facilities must be up to scratch to be able to facilitate cows.
A topical discussion is the changes in slurry storage seen in the nitrates regulations, which has highlighted the need for good cubicle houses having adequate slurry storage for the period of use.
With a seven-month winter, comfortable housing for cows, slurry capacity, the environment and hygiene in mind, farmers should explore the different options available to them to build the right cubicle house to facilitate their herd of cows.
Teagasc has published a new booklet titled ‘Cubicle Housing for Dairy Stock’. It was presented to dairy farmers attending the Teagasc Dairy Open Day at Ballyhaise Agricultural College, Co. Cavan.
Cubicle housing
The booklet provides detailed information on all aspects of cubicle housing for dairy farmers.
The authors of the booklet are Farm Buildings and Infrastructure specialist with Teagasc, Tom Fallon, and Farm Machinery and Milking Machine specialist with Teagasc, Francis Quigley.
Given that the vast majority of dairy cows in Ireland are housed over winter in cubicles, this booklet is a valuable contribution to the industry.
This booklet builds on the success of a Teagasc YouTube video entitled ‘Cubicle Design for Dairy Cows’ published by Teagasc 10 years ago.
It is a must-read for any farmers thinking of adapting existing, or building new winter accommodation for dairy cows.
Fallon said: “Cubicles are by far the housing system of choice for dairy cows in Ireland. It is important to think long-term, because cubicle houses are typically in operation for over 40 years.”
The booklet covers all angles of cubicle housing for dairy stock including:
- Cubicle and feed space;
- Cubicle passageways;
- Concrete surface finish;
- Crossing points and water supply;
- Plastic cubicle divisions;
- Design of cubicles in relation to feed passage;
- Feed barrier setup;
- Light and lighting;
- Environment;
- Problem solving measures;
- Cubicle design for young stock.
There is no doubt that a lot of farmers appreciate the importance of providing adequate space in the passageways of cubicle houses and the booklet highlights how you can rectify your own situation or go about starting a new build.
“It is also important to meet the needs of cows by providing adequately sized cubicles and avoiding the temptation of trying to squeeze too many cubicles into new sheds,” Fallon said.
Cubicle housing needs to meet three key parameters: adequate space per cow, comfortable and clean cubicles and provide adequate feed space per cow. There needs to be at least one cubicle space available per cow.
Before leaping into any major investments, dairy farmers must see what the best system is for their farm layout and consider whether this investment will be beneficial to the farm and have a good return of investment.