A NOTE ON MANAGEMENT-PRACTICES AND CUBICLE REFUSAL IN DAIRY-COWS

A study was undertaken, using 60 dairy farms in County Cork, to examin e the relationship between dairy cattle management system and cubicle refusal level. All the farms involved in the study overwintered their dairy cows in cubicle houses. A recorder visited each farm between Jan uary and June 1989 and collected the relevant information on site. The mean incidence of cows refusing cubicles per farm was 8% (s.d. 8), bu t ranged from zero to 47%. Seven of the farms had a cubicle:cow ratio of less than 0.8 while 38 farms had cubicle dimensions which were belo w those recommended. The main contributory factor to cubicle refusal w as small cubicle spaces which did not meet the currently recommended d imensions.