- Ensure that the entrance to the collecting yard is at least as wide as the cow roadway leading into it.
- Avoid sharp turns on the route that the cows take as they enter and leave the parlour. Fitting rubber matting at turning points or sharp bends will reduce risk of mechanical damage to the hooves.
- Keep concrete surfaces clean and in good repair. Sweep off any loose stones and slurry. The surfaces need to be non-abrasive but also not slippery.
- Cows have a walking order when walking on the farm roadway. However, they have a different milking order. They need space in the collecting yard to make this transition from walking order to milking order. If there is insufficient space in the yard, cows will push and bump each other, with an increased risk of foot trauma and white line damage. The recommended collection yard space is 1.5 sq. metre per cow. If the herd has insufficient space in the yard, milk a few rows before closing the yard entry gate.
- Use the backing gate to move cows gently into the milking parlour and do not push them with the gate.
- Consider the use of rubber matting at the entrance and exit of the milking parlour
While
roadway and yard infrastructure are very important in relation to reducing the
incidence of mechanical lameness in dairy herds, management of cow movement is
equally important.