Cow Mattress: How To Increase Milk Production And Prevent Mastitis

The one thing that dairy farmers in Kenya have always worked to achieve is increased production and, well, prevention of deadly diseases like Mastitis. Thanks to a recent invention of mattresses for cows, there is a major milestone towards getting the solution of these problems.

This technology has been in practice for quite some time in the developed countries but only got its way into Kenya less than a year ago. Currently, cow mattresses are being supplied by Fildana Limited and Mowning Kenya and a good number of dairy farmers in Kenya have embraced the technology and moved from the traditional twigs or saw dust flooring for their cow sheds. Miss Beatrice Gikonyo, a successful dairy farmer in Nakuru County is one of the people that are using the mattresses.

Do the cow mattresses really benefit the farmers?

Beatrice says that although there might be other factors, she has witnessed an increase in milk production by about 4 litres a day from each cow in her farm since she bought ten mattresses for her cows. She did this following an advice from veterinarians who had visited her farm and expressed their dissatisfaction on the situation of the cowsheds. She also says that before this, she had lost two heifers from mastitis but since the acquisition, she has not had any problems with the disease.

The mattresses for cows are easy to clean. Apart from the fact that they increase your cows’ milk production by making them more comfortable and healthier, the mattresses also protect against physical factors such as Dumb Heifer Syndrome, which is a condition which makes a cow to repeatedly injure itself, sometimes to the extent of causing death.

The mattresses are made from remains of rubber tyres. They come in different thickness sizes with the most common ones being the 2-inch and the 4-inch sizes. The 2-inch mattresses are currently retailing at sh3,500 while the 4-inch ones go for sh7,000. One mattress is designed to be used for one cow, although there are others that are designed for calves and can be used by two animals. They can also be used for goats, sheep or even dogs.