As the sand conforms to the shape of the knee, increasing the area over which this downward weight of the cow is distributed, the less is the potential for injury to the knee. Loose sand serves to consistently distribute the downward weight better than probably any other material or combination of materials currently in use. Thus, loose sand represents the standard of comparison when evaluating stalls beds of various materials for their cushioning effect. Good footing in the freestall is essential to the cow s ability to lie down and rise easily. When a cow can rise more confidently, rising time is reduced.
Sand contributes to cow comfort, good udder health and clean cows.
In addition, sand kicked into the alleys improves cow footing. However, the sand should not contain small rocks or pebbles which could cause damage to the hoof or lameness. Every one to four weeks, add sand to the front of the stall bed, leaving it to the cow to work toward the rear of the stall. Replenish sand before the front of the stall bed becomes lower than the rear, a condition that makes it difficult for cows to rise and causes them to lie diagonally in the stall. This tends to put more manure in the stalls and leads to dirtier cows.