Cow comfort brushes have become a common feature in dairy cow housing systems. The environmental and social enrichment are forming standards in some farm assurance schemes and as the promotion of animal welfare moves up the agenda for milk buyers looking to promote high welfare practices to consumers, the significance of cow comfort brushes also increases.
Besides, providing comfort to the cow, the usage of cow comfort brushes also result in an uplift in the milk yields and a reduction in disease burden and damage to farm buildings. Other findings included a yield response of one litre per day uplift found among second lactation cows which had access to an automated cow brush as part of a study conducted by Cornell University, New York. Researchers from Canada have also found out that when a mechanical brush was added to a building the level of scratching increased in the cows. Dairy specialist Kingshay came down to these conclusions which in turn pulled together several pieces of research looking at the potential value to be had from installing cow brushes.
Sarah Bolt, a Kingshay membership development manager has said that an environment in which dairy cows can exhibit the natural behavior of grooming contributes to a high level of farm animal welfare and can help in minimizing abnormal behavior or stress. In an outdoor environment, the cows would generally use trees, fence posts and other such surfaces to groom on thus limiting their ability to scratch which could lead to abnormal behavior or stress. Providing cow brushes could result in more relaxed animals and cleaner skin which could reduce parasites and organisms on the cow’s coat.
A study has also found that cows were motivated to work harder to access the brush and worked even harder to access both the brush as well as fresh food. Placing the cow brushes away from areas that are likely to become congested is very essential to avoid more dominant cows blocking pathways for other animals of the herd. The cow brushes should be situated away from other areas in the building such as water troughs or feed passages in order to avoid creating a distraction and there should be enough place to allow swinging for the size of the model.
The rise in the governmental policies for cattle healthcare is majorly driving the cow comfort brush market growth as per a report published by Value Market Research. The use of cow comfort brushes to provide optimal cattle care and improve production and profitability is further fueling the market demand. Also, rising global demand for better quality milk is again boosting the market growth as given in the report.
Kingshay has highlighted that 60 cows per brush are commonly used as a guide even though this calculation could vary among different manufacturers. To ensure the best lifespan for brushes, the condition and cleanliness of the cow comfort brushes are checked regularly. The three types of cow brushes available are stationary brushes, rotating brushes and swinging brushes out of which stationary brushes are the cheapest option and swinging brushes have a wide range of motion.
Naira Shekhawat has been into Content Writing just after completing her Graduation in English Literature. Her love for words has won her many accolades in her respective jobs ever since. Naira covers business sections for VMR News. She is a traveller by heart and loves writing on food blogs as a freelancer.