If not, evaluate your stalls and bedding. Drop to your knees in the stall. There should be no holes or mounds in the stalls, and stalls should slope back towards the alley. It should be at least 30 percent of the herd at any one time, and greater than 50 percent if all of the cows are lying down. If less than 30 percent of the cows are chewing their cud, this could indicate a nutritional problem or lack of effective fiber in the diet.
Water is the most important nutrient to the dairy cow.
However, it is a limiting factor in a lot of dairy barns. In a free-stall barn, provide one adequate sized dairy tub for every 25 cows. In a tie-stall barn, check to see that water bowls are working adequately and fill up quickly. Get a water test done and measure water intake with a flow meter if you suspect water quality problems. Grooved floors or dirt lots will ensure good footing and enable mounting activities, as well as better cow travel to the milking parlor, water tub, or feed bunk in a free-stall barn.