Abstract

Background:
Concrete is the most commonly used alley flooring in dairy farms because of its durability and ease of cleaning. However, concrete surfaces’ hardness, abrasiveness, and slipperiness can negatively affect hoof health, locomotion, and overall animal welfare. Consequently, alternative flooring materials, such as rubber-based surfaces, are increasingly being considered to improve the walking conditions of dairy cattle.

Aim:
This pilot study aimed to evaluate the effects of three flooring surfaces (concrete, porphyry, and a next-generation rubber mat produced from recycled ELT rubber) on limb acceleration patterns and stepping behavior in dairy cows.

Methods:
Ten multiparous dairy cows were enrolled in a clinical trial. Locomotor responses were assessed using two complementary approaches: first, a wearable accelerometer was applied to the left hind limb to quantify acceleration and vibration parameters during walking across the three surfaces. Second, walking behavior was evaluated by comparing step counts between rubber and porphyry flooring. Owing to sensor malfunction, accelerometer analysis was ultimately performed on six cows.

Results:
Acceleration values were generally higher on concrete than on rubber and porphyry, while X-axis vibration was markedly lower on porphyry than on both concrete and rubber surfaces. Step counts were slightly lower on rubber flooring than on porphyry flooring. However, no statistically significant differences were detected among flooring types for either acceleration parameters or stepping behavior (p > 0.05).

Conclusion:
Although not statistically significant, the observed patterns suggest that limb loading can be reduced by more compliant flooring surfaces. Owing to the limited sample size, these findings should be interpreted cautiously and considered preliminary. Further studies are required to confirm these results.

Key words: Animal welfare; Hoof health; Dairy cows; Locomotion biomechanics; Recycled rubber.