Good cow flow to the dairy will increase work efficiency and reduce stress on people and cows and minimise injury.
Allow cows to walk at their own pace along tracks and through gateways.
They will walk more slowly on uneven or stony surfaces.
Give the cows space and let them move at their own pace so they can place their feet safely.
This farmer is too close and pressuring the cows to walk faster.
Some heads are up and they can't see where to place their feet.
If you see a cow that looks lame, record her number and report this to your manager.
Lame cows are often at the back of the herd.
Let cows have a comfortable amount of space in the yard so they can move into their milking order.
That's around 1.5 m2 for Friesians and 1.2 m2 for Jersey cows.
If you see heads up, this is an indication that the cows are packed too tightly in the yard.
This will lead to stress, bullying and injury.
Move the backing gate regularly as the herd is milked, for a maximum of 5 seconds each time.
Only take up the empty space behind cows and make sure cows have enough space to move around.
NEVER push cows with the backing gate.
This will stress the cows and lead to injury including lameness.
For more information on moving cows click here
To watch a video on improving cow flow click here (13.01 mins)
