Tie-up stable

Even if tie-up stables are old fashioned they are still very common, especially in Finland and Austria. There are arguments against and for this kind of housing (in relation to welfare), since they are often very old, dark and small.

But there are things farmers can do to improve the situation for the cows. Since cows are staying the whole day on the same place the right floor/ laying area is most important.

The most common are concrete floors with a rubber mat on it. It should be a good and thick mat, otherwise the surface is still too hard for the cows. There are also special mats for tie-up stables available. Behind the rubber is a slatted floor to collect the manure and keep the cows as clean as possible.

The next important point for welfare is the size of the places. Cows have been much smaller in the past and modern dairy cows are mostly too long for the old stables. It is important that the laying area is long enough.

Most of the time, saw dust is used as litter material. But farmers can also use straw or peat.

Very important for the welfare is further that the cows get enough fresh air, light and motion. Some hours outside is the best solution for this and it is also a big improvement for the wellbeing for the cows.

An advantage of this stable is that the bacterias don´t spread  all over the whole stable. That is very important for the healthness of cows, especially for the udder.