How Do We Recognize the Effects of Dairy Cattle Activity in the Lying Area? A Case Study in Free-Stall Barns.

Dairy cattle kept in barns with a free-stall system have contact with the structural elements of the stalls in the lying area. As a result of the cattle entering the lying stall, lying down, and standing up, shiny surfaces appear on the neck rails and partitions. These shiny surfaces can be a source of information about the activity of the animals in the lying stalls over a long period of time. This case study aimed to assess the diversity of shiny spots on the neck rails and partitions in the lying area of barns with a free-stall system. The length of the shiny surfaces and their locations on the neck rails and partitions were measured in three barns (on one dairy farm) containing a total of 512 lying stalls. The differences in the lengths of the shiny surfaces on the left and right partitions were assessed, and their locations on the partitions and neck rail were compared. Identifying the interactions between animals and metal elements of the lying stalls could contribute to improving the welfare of dairy cattle.