The time dairy cows spend lying down is one of the most important welfare indicators in modern dairy farming, reflecting both comfort and health.
Lying time in dairy cows reflects the cumulative effect of multiple welfare factors including housing quality, stocking density, cubicle design, and social management. Cows that cannot access adequate lying time experience musculoskeletal fatigue, increased lameness risk from prolonged standing on concrete, and reduced rumination that impairs digestion. The strong motivation to lie, demonstrated by cows that prioritise lying over eating when given the choice, indicates that prolonged lying restriction represents genuine suffering. Precision livestock technology that continuously monitors lying time provides farmers with real-time welfare data that has been shown to drive management improvements when integrated into daily farm routines.