Cattle Flooring Project:

Tesco is working with groups of farmers to find practical solutions. As ways forward are found the results will be disseminated to the wider farming community. There will be regular updates of all projects and feedback is welcomed.

What are the objectives of this project?

• To ensure that cattle are provided with dry lying area throughout their lives as required by the law and assurance schemes.
• To ensure clean cattle arrive at slaughterhouses.
• 
  Why are these objectives so important?

• Dry lying areas

Research shows that cattle want to lie down for ~10-12 hours per day (e.g., Albright 2003) and lying is so important to cattle that when lying and eating are restricted simultaneously, cattle choose to rest rather than eat (Metz 1985).  However, cattle do not like lying down if the flooring is hard, cold, abrasive, wet or they feel they are likely to be disturbed by other group members (e.g., Haley 2000; Hickey et al. 2002, 2003). With recent significant increase in straw prices the cost of providing a consistent dry lying area has risen and straw is less readily available in some areas. Even the increased plantings as grain prices have risen will not resolve the problem as straw is directly incorporated by many arable farmers. In addition the value of the straw, particularly of the potash contained within it, has increased its value to the arable farmer as fertiliser costs have risen. Increasing fuel costs are also making movement of straw into the non grain areas increasingly unviable.

• Clean cattle

Research shows that cattle which have contaminated coats (MHS score 3 or higher) pose a greater risk of carcase contamination (Childs et al. 2006). This risk is reduced by clipping (McCleery et al. 2008) but the best option for both cattle and those humans eating the product is that cattle do not become contaminated and clipping is then unneccessary. Clipping is also a dangerous and time consuming process and the hide of the animal can be damaged for processing into leather by the presence of dung against the skin for a prolonged period of time.

What are the activities of the project?
There are many alternative substrates and flooring types coming onto the market in response to the situation and these will be evaluated under the following headings (using straw as a baseline) in order to seek viable alternatives that keep cattle clean and provide them with a dry lying area:

• Cost ( compared to straw per animal)
• Absorbency (wet materials are less absorbent)
• Storage requirements (can it be stored outside)
• Comfort for cattle (abrasiveness, ‘give’)
• Availability and consistency of supply
• Ability to degrade (including rate) and fit with current slurry/spreading systems
• Is there any risk of damage to growing plants (pH, toxic substances)
• Quality (has it been tested/is it necessary to test for contaminants such as PCBs, heavy metals, chemicals)
• 
  References
  
  Albright, J. L. 1993. Feeding behaviour in dairy cattle. Journal of Dairy Science 76: 485
  Haley, D. B.; Rushen, J. Passille, A. M. 2000. Behavioural indicators of cow comfort: activity and resting behaviour of dairy cows in two types of housing. Canadian Journal of Animal Science 80: 257-263
  Hickey, M. C.; Earley, B.; Fisher, A. D. Th effect of floor type and space allowance on welfare indicators of finishing steers. Irish Journal of Agriculture and Food Research 42: 89-100
  Hickey, M. C.; French, P.; Grant, J. 2002. Out-wintering pads for finishing beef cattle: animal production and welfare. Animal Science 75: 447-458
  McCleery, D. R.; Stirling, J. M. E.; McIvor, K.; Patterson, M. F. 2008. Effect of ante-and postmortem hide clipping on the microbiological quality and safety and ultimate pH value of beef carcasses in an EC-approved abattoir. Journal of Applied Microbiology 104: 1471-1479
  Metz, J. H. M. 1985. The reaction of cows to a short-term deprivation of lying. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 13: 301-307
  Childs, K. D.; Simpson, C. A.; Warren-Serna, W.; Bellenger, G.; Centrella, B.; Bowling, R. A.; Ruby, J.; Stefanek, J.; Vote, D. J.; Choat, T.; Scanga, J. A.; Sofos, J. N.; Smith, G. C.; Belk, K. E. Molecular characterization of Escherichia coli O157: H7 hide contamination routes: Feedlot to harvest. Journal of Food Protection 69: 1240-1247

 

Housing and Flooring Project
Ruth Layton, FAI

Rubberised slats – are they beneficial?
As part of the housing and flooring pillar of the TSBP, we have been undertaking a project in partnership with Foyle Food Group in Northern Ireland.

Straw is increasingly expensive and in many areas of the country in very limited supply and thus alternative systems for housing cattle have been on the agenda for many years. We now have knowledge of the needs of animals through animal welfare science and we can relate this to commercial benefits both for farmers and consumers.
Results from trials of rubberising slats for beef cattle are variable and often hotly debated. However research carried out by scientists all over the world in a multitude of cattle systems shows conclusively that:

1.             Cattle want to lie down for about 10 in 24 hours and this activity is so important to them that hungry cattle will often lie down in preference to eating if they have been deprived of both in the previous period.
2.            Cattle do not like lying down if the flooring is cold, wet or hard (particularly if it is uneven). Current evidence, although limited, is that cattle mind much less about being dirty than being comfortable (humans make the same decision in extremis!) so it is up to us to keep them clean for eating safety purposes.
3.            Cattle move in an abnormal way if the flooring is slippery which restricts their natural behaviour (stride up to 20% shorter) and can lead to lameness.
It can be seen from the above that rubberised slats are likely to be beneficial as they have the potential (depending upon the type of rubber used) to provide a non slip, relatively soft and thermally comfortable lying area. To put this latter point into context rubber has a thermal conductivity of 0.16 W/(m.K), concrete 1.7 W/(m.K) and ice 2.0 W/(m.K) i.e. concrete is cold! Trials have shown an increase in DLWG particularly as the cattle increase in size. The expected benefit is greater in thin skinned, less hairy, more angular animals such as dairy and dairy crosses.
Some research shows a benefit in cleanliness score although there is general agreement that this is limited and evidence to date shows that all cattle from such systems require clipping prior to slaughter.

A project is underway with Ivan Loughery, Easyfix and Foyle Meats to look at the implications of this system for people and animals and a further update will be given in March 2008.

Ivan Loughery with his cattle on rubber coated slats.