Lying mats for cows – still comfortable enough after years of use?

The first soft, deformable lying mats used in cubicle housing systems are now around ten years old. The effect of the age of the mats on cows’ joint health was investigated on the basis of surveys of hock-joint lesions. The surveys took place on working farms whose mats had been in use for between eight and ten years. The results from the lesion surveys were contrasted with the results of an investigation that had taken place about seven years previously on the same farms. The comparison of the incidence of lesions in the various categories showed no significant differences, although a tendency towards more lesions and those of greater severity was noted.