Walking and standing surfaces for longevity; These floors are made for walking

Summary High yielding dairy cows are housed for most of the year, most of their production cycle, or most of their life. When dairy cows are confined, as in a free stall system, their feet (when standing) and legs (when lying) are influenced in several ways: wear, trauma, loading, and by microorganisms especially if the hygiene is poor. Moreover, exposure for environmental risk factors are also important and therefore cow traffic is of concern in the planning. Even if the lying area is of outmost importance it cannot compensate for poor flooring because animals still have to move around to socialize, to feed and to be milked. The ability for each specific function such as resting, standing and walking must, therefore, be optimized. That means a soft yielding floor with, enough friction to reduce claw over growth yet preventing over wear and avoiding poor hygiene by ensuring as dry and clean floors as possible. Although optional, some kind of foot wash is beneficial.