Safe floors for cattle prevent injuries; Does grooving decrease slipperiness on concrete walkways?

Slippery floors results in falls and injuries which can be fatal. Moreover, on dairy farms slippery floors impede oestrus behaviour and ease of heat detection and as result cause economical losses due to impaired fertility. Grooving is the most common way to treat concrete floors to reduce slipperiness. This study aims to evaluate the effect of grooving of concrete walkways on the slipping risk of cattle. For that purpose the project aims to develop a state of the art, animal-oriented model for assessment of slipping. Most informative movement parameters associated with animal maneuverability on a slippery surface will be established from inertial sensors and 3D movements of the cow using multiple high-speed video cameras and reflective markers in a locomotion laboratory. The best adaptable model from the locomotion laboratory will then be used to test cows on dairy farms before and after longitudinal or diamond pattern grooving the walkway surfaces.