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

## TL;DR

This study examines how shiny surfaces on free-stall barn structures reflect dairy cattle behavior and stall usage over time.

## Contribution

The novelty lies in using visual signs like shiny surfaces to assess cattle-stall interactions and improve animal welfare.

## Key findings

- Shiny surfaces on neck rails and partitions indicate frequent cattle contact and behavior patterns.
- Differences in shiny surface lengths on left and right partitions were observed and measured.
- The study suggests that analyzing these surfaces can inform improvements in stall design and cattle welfare.

## Abstract

Due to long-term contact with dairy cattle, visual signs like a shiny surface can be recognized on the neck rails and partitions of lying stalls in free-stall barns. Shiny surfaces on the structural elements of the stalls and changes in the parameters of these stalls can provide important information on the behavior of dairy cattle, their lying conditions, and the maintenance of the stalls in the barn. This study aimed to evaluate the stalls in terms of the changes in their dimensions, as well as shiny surfaces on the neck rails and partitions, to assess the effect of the stall design on the interaction between dairy cattle and the stall.

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.