Mission Statement
To promote the construction of welfare-friendly housing for dairy cattle to optimize well-being, health, and productivity.
Guiding Principles
- Provide a comfortable place to rest that is designed to meet the space requirements of the animal, and not inhibit rising or lying movements. We actively promote the use of deep loose bedding (especially sand bedding) for mature cows, and a deep nest of straw for calves.
- Provide enough feed and water space for each animal to optimize health.
- Wherever possible, provide exposure to natural light and ventilation, but utilize mechanical assistance when needed.
- Accommodate cows and calves in groups which are socially stable over time, and manage groups to minimize movements between them.
- Design barn layouts that do not result in undue time away from a place to eat and rest.
- Design facilities to reduce the risk for spread of disease between neighbors.
Background
Over recent years, anyone intimately associated with animal agriculture will be aware of the growing consumer concern over the well-being of the animals producing our food. Among these concerns is the issue of housing, and the disease and injuries associated with it.
Wisconsin is unique compared to other intensive areas of dairy production in North America and the rest of the world in that it has a variety of dairy production systems, ranging from grazing herds, to tiestall or stanchion barns, to modern freestall facilities. It is this diversity that has led us to better understand the impact of the environment on our dairy animals through research and clinical experience.
Our main goal is to incorporate as many research supported biological standards as possible to enhance current engineering best practices, while producing a facility that is both economically sustainable and welfare-friendly. Where science has yet to provide the answers we need, our clinical experience is used to make informed recommendations. As new information is made available, we aim to update the website with new insights.
The purpose of the Wisconsin Blueprint is to collect in one place the ideas and standards which we believe should be used to produce an economically viable and competitive dairy industry with optimal animal well-being as the #1 goal. While some animal welfare advocates believe that all dairy cows should graze, there are very good reasons for providing housing for our dairy cattle, notably relief from thermal stress (excessive heat or chilling), shelter from driving rain and snow, observation of the sick, and protection from parasitism. As soon as we choose to house cattle rather than manage them at pasture, we are making a conscious decision to modify their behavior. Dairy cows housed in a freestall barn, fed a total mixed ration (TMR), and milked in a parlor 2 to 3 times a day are clearly not living a life their ancestors were designed for. However, we believe that the freestall barn is the future of the dairy industry, providing a reasonable compromise between behavioral freedom and a sustainable, economically viable production system.
Below are various topics to consider when building new or remodeling an existing facility.
