More and more dairy farmers in the Baltics are aware of the importance of properly grooved floors and their impact on the overall productivity of the farm. The following factors should be taken into account in order to create properly grooved floors in the barn.
Properly grooved farm floors contribute to the daily comfort and mobility of dairy cows, reduce the risk of injury, hoof wear and damage, and improve overall sanitary conditions in the barn.
1. Correct concrete mix when pouring new floors
When building a barn or pouring a new floor, it's important to choose the best possible concrete mix. The correct composition of the concrete will ensure greater durability of the floor and less wear of the grooves in the long term. As a result, a slippery floor surface will not form. When laying new floors, it is possible to create a correct floor groove the first time.
2. An appropriate groove pattern is selected
According to research by TrakRite Global, a good floor groove can increase a cow's stride length and reduce injuries.
It is important to create grooves in the direction of the main movement, in order not only to improve the cow's sense of security while walking, but also to improve sanitary conditions. Farms with cross, diagonal or diamond grooves and cleaning in the direction of the main movement have a higher risk of infectious diseases.
3.Keep on monitoring situationif in the barn ir are more problematic slippery zones
In different places in the barns, the degree of slipperiness of the floor varies. Consequently, the most suitable floor grooving solution also differs among them. If you notice increased cow trauma in specific areas of the barn, we invite you to contact specialists to determine the best method of floor grooving there. You can start improving floors with a groove of just a few m2 right in the problem areas.
4. Choose the most suitable floor groove
Depending on the condition of the existing floor and the area in the barn, the most suitable grooving solution is determined. DeepGroove grooves are most often used in barn aisles. In areas of more intense movement, such as turns and transitions, the MiniGroove20 or MiniGroove26 groove will be most suitable. It is important that all these solutions are grooved in the direction of the main movement to ensure maximum adhesion of the cow's hoof to the surface and to be able to clean the passages effectively.
5. Choose experienced and high-quality floor grooving service providers
Currently, TrakRite Global offers the most effective floor grooving methods in the world. According to research by experts at SaveCows.com, these methods have significantly helped reduce livestock lameness, hoof inflammation and injury problems on farms in Europe, North America and Australia.
ATTOR is the only certified company in the Baltics that performs floor grooving for both existing and new floors with TrakRite Global methods.
