Neck Rail Location

Neck rails help locate the cow in the stall while she is standing 

The neck rail provides lateral stability to the stall dividers while helping position the cow in the stall when she is standing, and has less of an impact on the lying position of the cow.

Proper standing position limits the amount of manure on the rear of the stall. Neck rail location has been shown to influence stall standing behavior, but has little effect on lying duration.

Correct location of the neck rail differs slightly between deep loose bedded stalls with a raised curb and mattress surface stalls.

Mattress Stalls

In stalls with mattress surfaces, the correct neck rail location is directly above an appropriately located brisket locator at a height of 48 to 50 inches (122 to 127 cm) for a mature cow. It is suggested that once the neck rail is located here, standing position of the cows should be observed and the exact location of the rail modified so the majority of cows in the pen can stand squarely on the stall platform with all four feet, while manure lands in the alley. Dividers which allow side lunge with a lower divider rail no higher than 12 inches (31 cm) above the stall surface must have an internal loop diameter (distance from the top of the lower rail to the bottom of the upper rail) of at least 33 inches (84 cm) to locate the neck rail in this position.

It is very common to find the neck rail too near the rear curb in mattress stalls with the belief that it keeps the stalls cleaner. This is counter-productive as it reduces stall use and promotes perching in the stall (standing with the rear feet in the alley). When attempting to lie down, the cows have to stand across the stall and from that position may end up lying diagonally and soiling the stall bed when lying.

Cow standing in a mattress stall diagonally because the neck rail is located too near to the rear curb.

Deep Loose Bedded Stalls

In deep loose bedded sand stalls with a raised rear curb, correct location of the neck rail is problematic. When located directly above a correctly positioned brisket locator, too much manure and urine is deposited in the stall. This is because the rear curb design and dimensions influence where the cow stands in the stall. Cows do not like to stand on a raised, rounded or sloped rear curb, and instead will stand diagonally across the stall with their rear feet inside the curb on the soft bedded surface. From this position, manure and urine will be deposited into the bedding.

Neck rail located too far forward in a sand stall. The cow has room to stand diagonally across the stall with her rear feet inside the raised rear curb. From this position, manure lands on the stall bed.

We must therefore adjust the location of the neck rail in such a stall. In stalls where the neck rail is 46 to 50 inches (117 to 127 cm) above the stall surface, it can be moved back from above the brisket locator towards the rear curb at a distance of about 6 inches (15 cm) – equivalent to the width of an appropriately designed rear curb. This will force cows to take a step back and perch in the stall when rising. Obviously this is not ideal, but we are prepared to accept this in a well-bedded sand stall where the rail height is correct because we know that lame cows do not spend prolonged periods standing in the stall, and the elevation of the front legs is much less than in a comparable mattress stall. The alternative is gross manure contamination of the bedding and a significantly elevated risk for mastitis. In stalls with neck rails lower than 46 inches (117 cm), the neck rail must remain above the brisket locator to give the cow sufficient space to rise without hitting the rail.

Deterrent Wires

In head-to-head stalls, high neck rails allow smaller cows to pass through the front of the stall. To discourage this, a deterrent wire covered with a 2 to 3-inch (5 to 8 cm) PVC pipe can be hung level with the top of the cows’ heads as they lie chewing their cud, typically 38 to 40 inches (97 to 102 cm) above the stall surface. At this location, the wire presents a visible deterrent when the cow stands in the stall, but is out of sight when she is lying down. This avoids problems with creating a lunge obstruction, which would promote diagonal lying.

A correctly located deterrent wire covered with 3-inch (8 cm) PVC pipe with the lower edge level with the top of the cow’s head when she is comfortably resting