Cow behaviour on a cow track

Installing a cow track that works for your herd means taking into account the way cows behave when they’re moving around in groups. Find out how to ensure your track keeps your cows moving happily.

When installing a cow track, it’s important to keep in mind the way cows behave when they move around in groups.

You’ll also need to make sure that the track is wide enough to accommodate your herd size, as in the table below.

Table 1. Minimum width of surfaced track required per number of cows

Think ahead: you may wish to make your track wider if you plan to expand your herd.

Here are some points to remember about how cows behave on tracks, along with actions you can take to keep them happy.

Cows walk and stand with their heads down, and they need space for their heads to move up and down freely. This allows them to find a safe foot placement, enables them to avoid more dominant cows, and gives them room to respond to pain if they stand on a stone.

If their heads are up, either on the track or in the shed, it’s because they’re too tightly packed.

Action

Give your cows space – don’t force them to bunch up tightly, either on the track or in the milking shed.

Cows have a walking order, and it’s slightly different to their milking order. After entering the collecting yard, they need time to rearrange themselves before they enter the parlour.

Action

Give your cows space and time to rearrange their position in the herd before entering the parlour.

Cows won’t overtake the dominant animals in front of them, and this puts pressure on the rear group, causing them to compact at the back on the track or by the backing gate. The front cows are almost unaffected, so they don’t walk any faster and continue at their own speed.

Action

Don’t put pressure on cows at the rear of the herd.

Under pressure, lower dominance cows and heifers reverse out of tight spots. A cow reversing indicates too much pressure.

Action

Increase the distance between the herdsman and the herd on the track.