Use headlocks in freestall barns!
Ideas for more
efficient dairy
farming.
by Gunnar Josefsson,
Marcia Miquelon and
Larry Chapman
University of Wisconsin, Madison
Healthy Farmers, Healthy Profits Project
Dairy cows need
many routine treatments and check-ups to stay productive and healthy.
In conventional barns (tie-stall & stanchion), this intensive management
is relatively easy. In freestall barns, with cows “on the loose”,
it can become a challenge to find individual cows and treat them. Installing
and using headlocks (self-locking headgates) can be a profitable way to
solve this problem!
Animal handling
With intensive management, each cow may need individual attention for important check-ups or treatments up to 50 times per lactation cycle. Headlocks make it easy to identify animals and make it possible to carry out the work safely and efficiently. Without headlocks, animals are “on the loose”, and need to be located and identified. The animals then need to be separated from their group and moved to a central pen. After the treatment or checkup is finished, the animals need to be re-sorted and moved back to their original pens. When there are headlocks in the animals’ regular pens, the animals can restrain themselves, they are presented for easy identification and they do not need to be moved away from their pens. Headlocks can save a total of about 133 hrs/yr in a herd of 125 cows and replacements by reducing this kind of routine animal handling (AI breeding not included).
AI Breeding.
Heat detection is crucial to efficient AI breeding. Using headlocks makes
it easier to use tail chalk or tail paint routines which may improve heat
detection and save labor. Efficient and safe AI breeding requires reliable
identification and restrained animals. Farmers who hire AI technicians
to do custom heat detection and breeding are charged up to 50% more if
headlocks are not provided. Some AI technicians do not offer their services
in herds without headlocks. Based on the fees charged for custom breeding,
using headlocks for cows as well as heifers may save around 159 hrs/yr
in a 125 cow herd. Depending on the routines used, headlocks may also
improve heat detection and marginally improve the conception rate.
Feed intake and milk production
Some studies have been interpreted to mean that cows eat less feed when using headlocks as compared to postand- rail feed barriers. However, other research suggests that what may look like decreased feed intake actually is decreased feedout loss, since cows restrained in headlocks are less able to toss and drop feed into the scrape alley. Importantly, these studies comparing neck rails and head locks have found no differences in milk yield, which supports the argument that there is no difference in the amount of feed actually consumed. For lactating cows, headlocks canbe expected to save about 2.5% of the amount fed, or 1.25 lb. DM/cow/day. This adds up to feed-savings of about $4,170/yr in a herd of 125 cows and replacements. Researchers point out that cows need to be accustomed to feeding in headlocks. If not, they are likely to consume less feed and as a result produce less milk. This training is best achieved by also using headlocks in pens for the replacement heifers
