Size the stall to match the size of the cow!
New Facilities
Freestalls should be appropriately sized to accommodate the resting imprint of the cows using them, and to permit sufficient space for the cow to lunge forward when rising and lying down without movement obstruction.
Critical dimensions for freestall design include width (measured on center between divider loops), length (from the rear point of the curb to the furthest forward point the cow can lunge to), and the distance from the rear curb to the brisket locator.
Cows spend more time lying and less time standing in larger stalls because of fewer disturbances between neighbors.
In general, it is recommended that stalls are sized to provide for the largest 25% of cows in the group. However, stall width recommendations are most challenging in prefresh pens where large, heavily pregnant mature cows and young nulliparous heifers approaching their first calving are housed together. Stall dimensions between the requirements for these two disparate groups may be required.
Producer concerns related to stall hygiene when larger dimensions are suggested have not been realized when the stall is correctly designed and the correct dimension choice made based on the guidelines below. These recommendations allow the cow to rise and lie down as naturally as possible without obstruction to the lunge or bob of the head, or the forward stride of the forelimb.
Note the lunge and bob space required by the cow as she rises. This allows the cow to transfer weight from her rear limbs, facilitating rising
Diagonal lying is a major problem associated with poor stall design – not stall size per se. This behavior creates manure contamination in the corner of each stall. There are a number of risk factors that promote diagonal lying, which include:
- Stalls that are too short – either against a solid sidewall or opposite another occupied stall, which inhibits front lunge
- Stalls with lunge space obstructions, such as transverse stall divider mounting bars and deterrent bars which are between the stall surface and 38 inches (97 cm) above the surface
- Stalls with a loop design that promotes side lunge
- Stalls with brisket locators higher than 4 inches (10 cm) above the stall surface, which prevent the forward thrust of the forelimb during the rising movement
- Stalls with brisket locators placed too near the rear curb restricting lying space
- Stalls with neck rails too close to the rear curb
- Head-to-head stalls with social obstructions in front
These cows are lying diagonally across the stall and contaminating the platform due to a combination of a high brisket locator, a lunge and bob zone obstruction, and a social obstruction on a short head-to-head stall platform – NOT because the stall is too wide!
In new stall designs, dimensions must be such that they reduce the risk of diagonal lying. It is also vital that brisket locators, divider loop type, and divider mountings are correctly positioned and fitted.
Diagonal Lying Check List
- Is the stall too short?
- Is there a front lunge or bob zone space obstruction?
- Does the loop design promote side lunge?
- Is the brisket locator higher than 4 inches (10 cm)?
- Is the brisket locator too close to the rear curb?
- Is the neck rail too close to the rear curb?
- Is there a social obstruction
Target stall dimensions for cows of various body weights are given in the table below for ideal stalls in pens without mixed age groups. The diagram identifies the location of the measurements. Stall width is measured on center.
Target freestall dimensions for a range of body sizes.
| Stall Dimensions | Body Weight Estimate (lb) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1000 | 1200 | 1400 | 1600 | 1800 | 2000 | |
| Center-to-center stall divider placement (stall width) (A) | 42 | 45 | 48 | 50 | 54 | 57 |
| Total stall length facing a wall (B1) | 96 | 108 | 108 | 120 | 120 | 126 |
| Outside curb to outside curb distance for head-to-head platform (B2) | 180 | 192 | 192 | 204 | 204 | 216 |
| Distance from rear curb to rear of brisket locator (C) | 64 | 66 | 68 | 70 | 72 | 75 |
| Width of rear curb (D) | 6-8 | 6-8 | 6-8 | 6-8 | 6-8 | 6-8 |
| Horizontal distance between rear edge of neck rail and rear edge of curb for mattress stalls (E) | 64 | 66 | 68 | 70 | 72 | 75 |
| Horizontal distance between rear edge of neck rail and rear edge of curb for deep bedded stalls (E)* | 58 | 60 | 62 | 64 | 66 | 69 |
| Distance from rear edge of divider loop to point of curb (F) | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 |
| Height of brisket locator above top of curb (loose bedded stall or mat/mattress surface) (G) | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Height of upper edge of bottom stall divider rail above top of curb (loose bedded stall or mat/mattress surface) (H) | 10 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
| Interior diameter of the stall divider loop (I) | 30 | 33 | 33 | 36 | 36 | 36 |
| Height of neck rail above top of curb (loose bedded stall or mat/mattress surface) (J) | 42 | 45 | 48 | 50 | 52 | 54 |
| Obstruction height (K) | 5-35 | 5-35 | 5-35 | 5-35 | 5-35 | 5-35 |
| Horizontal distance from brisket locator to loop angle (L) | 20-22 | 20-22 | 20-22 | 20-22 | 20-22 | 20-22 |
| Rear curb height (M) | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
*E in deep, loose-bedded stalls is less than in mattress stalls to encourage cows to stand with rear feet in alley instead of on stall base.
Typical lunge space for a mature Holstein cow would be an additional 3 to 4 feet (91 to 122 cm) beyond the resting length, making the total required stall length against a sidewall around 10 feet (3.1 m) for a mature Holstein cow. In head-to-head stalls, a platform of 16 to 18 feet (4.9 to 5.5 m) is recommended to allow lunging to the front, while avoiding the cow in the opposing stall. For mature Holstein cows, we recommend stall lengths of 10 feet (3.1 m) and 17 feet (5.2 m) as a standard.
Front lunge is facilitated by making the stall against the side wall 10 feet long (3.1 m) and the stall platform 17 feet (5.2 m) for the head-to-head stalls.
In head-to-tail barn layouts or in stalls along drovers alleys, the front retaining wall should be no higher than 18 to 20 inches (46 to 51 cm) above the alley floor.
Lying
Cows can smoothly lie down in a well designed stall without hitting any part of the divider or neck rail:
Observe how the bar obstruction and post in the lunge space keep the cow from lying down easily in the stall and cause her to lie diagonally:
Observe how the obstruction in the lunge space and mattress base prohibits this lame cow from lying down:
Rising
Cows can rise normally in a well designed stall without hitting any part of the divider or neck rail:
Observe how this cow hits her chin on the bar in front and her neck on the rail above when getting up with a lunge space obstruction:
The rear curb should be high enough to limit manure contamination of the stall during manure scraping or flushing, but low enough to facilitate exit from the stall. This is a particular challenge for lame cows and first lactation heifers. A reasonable compromise for mature cows is to have the curb 8 inches (20 cm) high above the alley in a sand stall and no wider than 6 to 8 inches (15 to 20 cm). The curb may be flat or slope 2 inches (5 cm) from the outside to the inside of the curb.
In a mattress stall, the concrete platform should be 7 inches (18 cm) high above the alley with a 2 inch (5 cm) rise to the brisket locator position to allow for the addition of the mattress.
Remodeled Facilities
Stall dimension recommendations are targeted to prevent disturbances between neighboring cows and to facilitate rising and lying movements. However, in remodeled barns, we must be prepared to make compromises. Stall widths may have to be adjusted for:
- Space allowance in the barn – For example, the distance between the cross alleys in a row of stalls must be dividable by a whole number of stalls
- Risk factors for diagonal lying – If we make a stall wider, but do not improve lunge room or forward stride obstructions such as high brisket locators, cows will show a greater tendency for diagonal lying and more stalls will be contaminated with manure
Thus, in stalls against a sidewall, if length is not improved beyond 8 feet (2.4 m), cows will have to lunge to the side, and wider stalls may promote more diagonal lying.
Lying position and lunge behavior in stalls against a sidewall (a, b, c). If stalls are made wider with no improvement to lunge space, cows may lie across the stall more (b). For cows to lie straight and reap the benefits of wider stalls, we must lengthen the stall to allow forward lunge (c).
Observe how this cow must lunge to the side because there is not enough space to lunge forward normally:
Here is an example of a remodeled barn with a lunge space addition to the sidewalls. Notice how the cow uses the entire space to lunge forward when getting up:
In head-to-head stalls, short platforms of 14 to 15 feet (4.3 to 4.6 m) lead to front lunge social obstructions, which will cause cows to lunge to the side. A longer platform is needed to allow for front lunge, in addition to the full width recommendation without an increased risk of diagonal lying and bedding contamination. The minimum recommendation for a head-to-head stall platform length is therefore 16 feet (4.9 m). However, 17 feet (5.2 m) is preferred. Platforms 18 feet (5.5 m) or longer will create issues with divider loop stability, which would need to be addressed when making the recommendation to increase platform length.
Lying position and lunge behavior in head-to-head stalls (a, b, c). If stalls are made wider on a short platform, the cow opposite an occupied stall is forced to lunge to the side and lie diagonally across the stall (b). For the cows to lie straight on both sides of the platform, front lunge must be provided by separating the cows from each other on a 17 to 18-foot platform (5.2 to 5.5 m).
To maximize resting activity while maintaining stall hygiene, compromises may have to be made. However, in most situations, a 48-inch (122 cm) wide stall will be an improvement over a 45-inch (114 cm) wide stall for mature Holstein cows, whether they lunge to the front or to the side.