Cubicle design in dairy housing fundamentally determines whether cows can rest comfortably and express lying behaviour - the most important welfare determinant in housed dairy systems.
Cubicle design failures cause concrete daily welfare harm: cows that cannot rest adequately experience fatigue, increased lameness risk, and disrupted reproductive cycles. Poor design forces cows to adopt abnormal postures, stand excessively in passageways, or rest in dung-contaminated areas. Investing in well-designed, appropriately sized, well-bedded cubicles creates continuous welfare benefit for every cow in the herd throughout their productive life.