Dairy - Stokman Farm, Holland
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The building of a new 240 place dairy unit is an investment in the future of dairy farming. Currently the herd is running at 140 cows, which means in 2015 when quotas are finally abolished the herd will be able to expand rapidly up to 240 cows to take advantage of the new market conditions.
The farm fitted water beds over 10 years ago in the cubicle shed and with the construction of the new housing facility, water beds have once again been chosen as the lying option for the dairy cows. “Dual chambers” have been introduced, which specifically provide a cushioned area for the cow’s knees and a separate pocket for the body and hind legs. Unlike other bedding materials, the dual chamber waterbed returns to its original convex manufactured shape, allowing moisture to flow away from the bed surface, not only providing a drier more hygienic bed but also meaning that the requirement for bedding material is reduced. Several studies have shown that waterbeds provide a surface which reduces the incidence of injury, and provide consistent long term comfort, over other forms of bedding materials.
New facilities and bedding options provide the cows with improved comfort, resulting in reduced incidents of injury.