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How to support animal grooming
Scratch brushes help cows, calves, horses and other animals remove dirt, parasites and other contaminants from skin and hair and positively influence the animals’ affective state. Animals can groom themselves (by licking) and participate in allogrooming with herd mates and when kept in naturalistic environments, and they will use tree bark and other abrasive surfaces to scratch areas of the body that are otherwise difficult to reach.
Dairy cows in particular, whether kept in herd homes or the paddock often have restricted access to suitable grooming substrates that allow them to reach otherwise unreachable body areas. Some dairy farms provide access to mechanical brushes, providing cows a way to express grooming behaviours in a directed manner. Studies show that cattle with access to mechanical brushes are cleaner and spend about fivefold more time grooming compared with when brushes are not available, suggesting that these brushes are important to the cow.
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Cattle scratch brushes are a valuable tool for modern cattle farming, providing numerous benefits for both the animals and the farmers.
- Improves animal comfort - relieves itching & reduces stress, leading to calmer herd
- Improves health & hygiene - healthier cows have better weight gain & produce more
- Preserves infrastructure - redirect rubbing & leaning to designated areas
- Controls behaviour -reduces dominance related aggression
- Savings - reduces the need for chemical parasite control-saving treatment & labour
One of the big current overarching trends within the Veterinary industry is that it is no longer good enough to just meet existing animal welfare standards. Cows are now considered sentient beings and should have “lives worth living” it is necessary, overall, to minimise their negative experiences and at the same time to provide the animals with opportunities to have positive experiences. In addition to this, Farmers who have installed scratch brushes love to tell you how much their cows love to use them, how they will queue for their turn and spend many minutes enjoying them. Scratch Brushes enhance the overall well-being and quality of life for cattle, aligning with ethical and animal welfare standards. Promote a more humane and caring approach to livestock management.
