title: Investigation of dairy cattle ease of movement on new methyl methacrylate resin aggregate floorings.
abstract: Freestall dairy farms commonly present issues with cattle slips and falls caused by smooth flooring and manure slurry. This study examined the effect of 4 new methyl methacrylate (MMA) resin aggregate flooring types (1-4) compared with rubber (positive) and concrete (negative control) on dairy cow (n=18) ease of movement when walking on straight and right-angled corridors. Our hypothesis was that cow ease of movement when walking on the MMA surfaces would be better than when walking on traction milled concrete, and at least as good as when walking on rubber. Cattle ease of movement was measured using kinematics, accelerometers, and visual observation of gait and associated behaviors. Stride length, swing time, stance time, and hoof height were obtained from kinematic evaluation. Acceleration and asymmetry of variance were measured with accelerometers. Locomotion score and behaviors associated with lameness, such as arch back, head bob, tracking up, step asymmetry, and reluctance to bear weight were visually observed. Stride length, swing time, stance time, and the number of steps taken were the only variables affected by flooring type. Differences between flooring types for these variables were tested using a generalized linear mixed model with cow as a random effect, week as a random block factor, and flooring type as a fixed effect. Multiple comparisons with a Scheffé adjustment were done to analyze differences among flooring types. Stride length was 0.14 m longer (better) on rubber when compared with concrete, and 0.11 and 0.17 m shorter on MMA 1 and 2 compared with rubber. On MMA 3 and 4, stride length did not differ from either rubber or concrete. Swing time was 0.04 s shorter (worse) on MMA 1 than on rubber, but did not differ from any other flooring. Stance time was 0.18 s longer (worse) on MMA 2 when compared with rubber, but it did not differ from any other treatment. The number of steps was higher on MMA 4 compared with rubber (4.57 vs. 3.95 steps), but did not differ from any other treatment. Of all the MMA floors tested, MMA 3 was the only one that was consistently as good as rubber (positive control). All 4 MMA floors never differed from concrete (negative control) in any of the ease of movement variables measured. These results suggest that MMA 3 may improve cow ease of movement, compared with the other MMA floors, but more research is required to confirm these findings.
authors: Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada.
authors: N
authors: N
authors: Franco-Gendron
authors: Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada.
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Bergeron
authors: SureBond Safe Floors (formerly AB Silikal Hygienic Floors), a div. of Diamond Hard Surfaces (Calgary) Inc., Calgary, Alberta, T2A 6R3, Canada.
authors: W
authors: W
authors: Curilla
authors: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Sherbrooke Research and Development Centre, Sherbrooke, Quebec J1M 0C8, Canada.
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Conte
authors: Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada.
authors: T
authors: T
authors: DeVries
authors: Department of Animal Science, McGill University, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec, H9X 3V9, Canada. Electronic address: elsa.vasseur@mcgill.ca.
authors: E
authors: E
authors: Vasseur
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases; D005260:Female; D005430:Floors and Floorcoverings; D006799:Housing, Animal; D007794:Lameness, Animal; D008689:Methacrylates; D020366:Methylmethacrylate
chemical_list: D008689:Methacrylates; D020366:Methylmethacrylate
keywords: dairy cow; ease of movement; flooring type; methyl methacrylate resin aggregate