Cubicle design for dairy cows significantly affects lying time, comfort and lameness, and poor design is a major but preventable source of welfare compromise in intensive dairy systems.
Cows that cannot lie comfortably experience elevated stress hormones, reduced milk production and increased lameness. Hock lesions from concrete or thin rubber cubicle surfaces cause chronic pain affecting daily behaviour. Many farms have chronically poor cubicle design that could be remediated at modest cost. Welfare assessment should include lying time monitoring as a mandatory metric.