Cubicle

Cubicle

Cows lie down for an average of 12 hours a day. That's why it's so important to provide the animal with maximum comfort, to make your herd more serene, ensure good hygiene on your farm and promote milk production and good health. Individual cubicle bedding meets all these criteria. The range has now been extended to meet and adapt to your needs and the comfort of your animals.

What is a cubicle?

A cubicle is a piece of equipment, located inside a building, that allows heifers or dairy cows to lie down separately to have their own place to sleep and rest after milking.

 The benefits of this product are many:

● The cow is healthier, increasing her milk performance.

● The herd is calmer, particularly during periods of heat, because the cubicle provides both a place to sleep and a place to stand, ensuring the animal's comfort.

● Keep the animals clean. Their bedding becomes easier to control, with a minimum of soiling in the cubicles.

● Make it easier to organise your work: animal traffic, space segmentation and exiting the milking unit or other ancillary premises are simpler.

How does a cubicle work?

The main component of the cubicle is the floor. It is used to subdivide the bunks in the resting area and is installed using stalls and round or square posts.

The separation between cubicles can take several forms. Originally, conventional partitions were fixed to the floor to form a complete cubicle that could hold the cow at the top and bottom. This standard model provided a support area when the cow was lying down. More recently, straight tube partitions have emerged. These give cows and heifers greater freedom by leaving the lower part completely free.When it comes to securing the cubicles, the legs or posts can be cemented into the concrete or fixed to a base plate. The second solution means that the cubicles can be dismantled, whereas the first keeps them fixed.

How do you choose your cubicle?

The choice of cubicle and its accessories (side panels, side panel fixings, wither bar, stopper, etc.) depends on a number of criteria which, if not respected, will affect the animal's well-being and the resulting production. The criteria are as follows:

● Size and measurements of the cows

● Age of the animal (heifer or adult cow)

● Breed

The cows must have their own defined space, which does not spill over into neighbouring cubicles. The lower bar, known as a stopper, is essential to give the cow a reference point for her lying area. The hoof or leg comes up against an obstacle (stopper on the ground, girth in the down position) letting the animal know that it is sufficiently advanced.The withers bar complements the ground stopper. This bar limits the cow's forward movement when she is standing, which keeps the cubicles cleaner.Quality cubicles will give cows enough room to move around when they stand up or lie down. They should have no front tube less than one metre high, and walls or rows of straw bales should be kept well away.

Finally, it is important that the cubicle avoids injuries that can be caused by the tubular coming into contact with certain sensitive areas of the cow's body. The cubicle you choose will also allow you to adjust the neck rail and adapt it to the size of the cattle. You can complete your cubicle with a mat or mattress to optimise the well-being and space of your cows. See all the cubicles and accessories available from Cosnet and choose the product that will ensure the comfort of your cows, heifers and other livestock when they lie down and get up!