Livestock

Cow Lying Time and Resting Welfare

Lying time is a critical welfare indicator for dairy cows, with adequate rest essential for health, productivity, and wellbeing.

Key Facts

Dairy cows need 10-14 hours of lying time per day for optimal welfare
Each hour of lying time lost costs approximately 1.7 kg of milk production
Overstocked cubicle housing restricts access to lying areas causing significant welfare harm
Hard or poorly bedded surfaces cause hock lesions and teat injuries affecting many cows
Cows wait outside cubicles for extended periods in overstocked systems indicating access competition

Welfare Considerations

Cows that cannot lie for sufficient time experience elevated cortisol, lameness, and reduced immune function. Lying deprivation is both a welfare harm and a measurable production loss, creating incentives for improvement. Cubicle design, bedding quality, stocking density, and passage width all affect lying time. Regular monitoring of lying time using sensors or observation provides actionable welfare data for dairy managers.

What You Can Do

Support dairy certification standards including lying time assessment
Advocate for stocking density limits in dairy housing welfare regulations
Choose dairy products from farms with documented resting space provision
Support investment in precision livestock monitoring including lying time sensors
Encourage veterinary health planning to include resting behaviour assessment for dairy herds