Artificial Grass as an Alternative Laneway Surface for Dairy Cows Walking to Pasture

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Comfortable walking surfaces are of great importance for dairy cow welfare, especially because many dairy cows are affected by lameness, which is associated with painful claws. Cows walk considerable distances to get from their pasture to the milking parlour and back (usually twice a day). Therefore, a more comfortable surface on the laneway between these places will improve their welfare. In this study, we showed that dairy cows walk faster when artificial grass is placed over a standard laneway (consisting of gravel covered with a layer of stone dust) than if this laneway is left bare. This suggests that artificial grass is a more comfortable surface type. In addition, when given the opportunity to choose between the two surface types, the cows more often chose the artificial grass than the standard surface, indicating that they preferred the artificial grass. Lame cows chose the artificial grass more often than sound cows, which is in line with the suggestion that more comfortable surface types are especially important for lame cows. In conclusion, artificial grass provides dairy cows with a more comfortable walking surface, which is likely to benefit their welfare. ABSTRACT: Softer surfaces can alleviate pressure on the claw during claw–surface contact, which is especially important for cows with painful claws. The benefits of softer barn floors are well known, but as cows often walk long distances twice daily between pasture and parlour, laneway surfaces are also important. In trial 1, we evaluated the gait of 69 cows on a standard (stone dust-over-gravel) laneway and an artificial grass laneway. Greater speed and longer strides were interpreted as indicators of a more suitable surface. Walking speed was greater on artificial grass than on the standard laneway (p = 0.001, median artificial grass: 1.46 m/s [interquartile range (IQR): 1.39–1.54], standard 1.40 m/s [IQR: 1.30–1.48]). No significant stride length increase was detected (p > 0.10, 158 cm [IQR:151–166] versus 155 cm [IQR:149–164]). In trial 2, we evaluated cow preference by giving 66 pairs of cows four consecutive choices between the standard laneway and artificial grass. Artificial grass was preferred overall (median stretches of artificial grass used out of a maximum of 4: 3 [IQR:2–4], p < 0.001). This preference was significantly (p = 0.001) stronger in lame cows (median: 3 [IQR:3–4]), than in sound ones (median: 2 [IQR:2–3]). Preference was also affected by the side of the laneway covered with artificial grass. Our results suggest that artificial grass improves the welfare of dairy cows walking to and from pasture, with lame cows benefiting to a greater extent.