Cow comfort is the foundation of a productive dairy operation. Clean, dry and well-maintained freestalls not only improve cow health and happiness but also drive higher milk production. Whether you choose organic bedding like dried manure solids or inorganic options like sand, the goal remains the same: keep stalls clean, dry and deep enough so cows only contact bedding, not concrete or manure.
Investing in bedding management equipment like systems for dewatering, stall maintenance, manure separation and drying, can make bedding management easier, more efficient, and more profitable.
Why Bedding Matters for Cow Comfort
Comfortable cows are productive cows. Research from the William H. Miner Agricultural Research Institute has shown that cows that rest for longer periods of time produce more milk – up to 3.5 more pounds of milk per cow per day per additional hour of lying time after 10 hours. Longer resting periods improve blood flow to the udder, reduce stress and support better rumination. Proper bedding depth and dryness encourage cows to lie down more often, which is critical for milk yield and overall health.
Poor bedding management can lead to hock injuries, lameness and reluctance to use stalls, all of which negatively impact production and increase veterinary costs. By focusing on bedding quality, dairy producers can improve cow longevity, reproductive performance and milk quality, making bedding management a key driver of profitability.
Dewatering: Reducing Moisture for Cleaner Bedding
Dewatering equipment removes excess water from recycled sand bedding, reducing the need for long conditioning times and freeing up valuable stacking space. Cleaner, drier sand means:
- Faster turnaround for reuse - sand can return to stalls quickly, minimizing downtime.
- Lower bacterial growth - moisture is one of the three elements bacteria need to thrive and removing it reduces mastitis risk.
- Reduced sand inventory costs - less need to purchase and store large volumes of sand.
Shaker Screens are a popular solution. They quickly reduce moisture in recycled sand from about 20% to a drip-free state, minimizing conditioning time and improving stall hygiene. This technology saves labor, reduces cash tied up in sand inventory and ensures cows have access to clean, dry bedding sooner. Shaker Screens can be part of a Sand Separation System or added later as a final dewatering step. Many dairy farms use Shaker Screens to dewater sand removed from a sand lane. No matter how the Shaker Screen is used, the sand produced from it is cleaner and drier.
Stall Maintenance: Keeping Bedding Comfortable
Freestalls must be filled with clean, dry bedding and maintained at proper levels. This includes:
- Weekly bedding additions using Stall Fillers (truck- or trailer-mounted units) to keep stalls deep and cushioned.
- Daily raking with a Stall Groomer to remove manure and wet bedding, preventing contamination and discomfort.
- Grooming deep-bedded stalls with Stall Groomers to aerate and soften packed sand.
As cows move around in deep-bedded sand freestalls, they tend to pack the sand down. Over time and without proper maintenance, bedding compacts, stalls stay wet, and cows avoid lying down, which hurts milk production and cow health. Stall Groomers break up the hard top layer, allowing moisture to wick away, and create a softer resting surface. Stall Groomers easily attach to a skid steer, which makes grooming freestalls an efficient process. This simple step can greatly improve stall hygiene and cow comfort.
Manure Separation: Recycling Bedding and Managing Nutrients
Manure Separation Systems remove undigested fibers from liquid manure, creating:
- Nutrient-rich solids for land application – easier to manage and apply.
- Cleaner process water – reduce lagoon load and odor.
- Reusable bedding material – lower bedding costs and support sustainability goals.
Separated solids, when properly dried, provide a uniform, comfortable bedding option. While manure solids can harbor bacteria if used wet, drying them significantly reduces pathogen levels, making them a safe and cost-effective alternative to purchased bedding.
Drying: Eliminating Moisture and Pathogens
Drying systems heat bedding to high temperatures, removing moisture and killing mastitis-causing pathogens. Benefits include:
- Immediate reuse of sand or manure solids - no long conditioning periods needed.
- Lower somatic cell counts - cleaner bedding reduces mastitis cases.
- Healthier cows and higher milk quality – a direct result of improved stall hygiene.
Sand bedding has been described as the gold standard for freestall dairies because, when properly managed, it provides the cleanest and most comfortable bed for the cows. Sand processed through a Sand Bedding Dryer not only provides the cleanest and driest bedding material but it is also virtually pathogen free.
For producers using manure solids, while manure solids provide a comfortable resting place, they have the potential to harbor high levels of bacteria. A Manure Bedding Dryer ensures bedding is safe and comfortable, reducing health risks and improving milk quality.
Health and Hygiene: Protecting Your Herd
Moisture and organic matter create a breeding ground for bacteria, increasing mastitis risk and somatic cell counts. Mastitis is a costly disease in dairy farming, impacting milk quality, production and cow comfort. By implementing systems and equipment to help make bedding management easier and maintain stall hygiene, dairy farmers can improve cow comfort, udder health, lower veterinary costs and reduce pathogen levels in the stalls.
Healthy cows produce more milk, stay in the herd longer and require fewer interventions, making bedding management a cornerstone of herd health.
Bedding management isn’t just a maintenance task, it’s a strategic investment in cow comfort, milk production and herd health. Equipment for dewatering, stall maintenance, manure separation and drying helps farmers create cleaner, drier, and more comfortable stalls. When cows thrive, so does your dairy.
