Making tiestalls more comfortable: II. Increasing chain length to improve the ease of movement of dairy cows.

Although most farms in Canada still use tiestall housing for dairy cows, little information is available pertaining to cow comfort and behavior in such systems. Tiestalls are often criticized as they offer a reduced dynamic space to cows, thereby restricting their ability to move. The object of this study was to see if increasing the length of the tie chain provides cows with improved movement opportunities and to measure its effect on cows' rising and lying movements and behaviors.

Making tiestalls more comfortable: III. Providing additional lateral space to improve the resting capacity and comfort of dairy cows.

Dairy cows housed in tiestalls are restricted to one space; therefore, this space should be designed to accommodate all the activities cows need to perform. Lying is a very important behavior for dairy cows as well as a critical measure in the assessment of stall designs, to ensure that the cows' needs for resting space are met. The objective of this study was to determine if increasing tiestall width alters the lying behavior of lactating dairy cows.

Invited review: Lying time and the welfare of dairy cows.

Adequate time lying down is often considered an important aspect of dairy cow welfare. We examine what is known about cows' motivation to lie down and the consequences for health and other indicators of biological function when this behavior is thwarted. We review the environmental and animal-based factors that affect lying time in the context of animal welfare.

Associations between on-farm animal welfare indicators and productivity and profitability on Canadian dairies: I. On freestall farms.

Motivating dairy producers to financially invest in the improvement of their animals' comfort and welfare can pose some challenges, especially when financial returns are uncertain. Economic advantages for dairy producers associated with increased animal welfare are likely to come from either a premium paid for the milk or increased productivity. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the associations between measures of herd productivity and farm profitability and animal-, management-, and resource-based indicators of cow welfare and comfort.

Associations between on-farm cow welfare indicators and productivity and profitability on Canadian dairies: II. On tiestall farms.

The use of tiestall housing for dairy cows is often criticized due to the reduced freedom of movement it offers for the animals. Maximizing comfort is especially important in tiestall farms to ensure an acceptable level of cow welfare. Motivating dairy producers to make financial investments directly aimed toward the improvement of their animals' welfare can be challenging, especially when financial returns are uncertain.