Maximising cow comfort and health is central to the success of the high-performing 1,000-cow pedigree Holstein herd at Meldrum Farm, Blair Drummond — twice winners of the AgriScot Dairy Farm of the Year award.
Cows at Meldrum Farm are milked three times a day through a 50-point rotary parlour, averaging an impressive 13,000 litres per lactation, while maintaining a low somatic cell count of 130,000 and mastitis incidence of just 10% (90 cases per year).
For herd managers David Montgomery and Doug McMillan, the foundation of this performance is simple — healthy, comfortable cows produce more milk for longer. “The cows are housed all year round in deep-bedded cubicles split into four milking groups, so it was important to find the right bedding product to provide the comfort they need without compromising hygiene or udder health,” he says.
Why lying time matters
Research shows that cows need to lie down for at least 12 hours a day to achieve optimal production. Time spent lying allows cows to rest and ruminate, while increasing blood circulation through the udder by up to 30% — all of which supports higher milk yields and better overall health.
Excessive standing, on the other hand, increases the risk of lameness and stress.“Good bedding encourages cows to lie down and stay clean and comfortable,” says David. “It’s about getting that balance right — comfort, hygiene, and practicality for staff.
EnviroBed by EnviroSystems ready for use as a comfortable livestock bedding at Meldrum Farm, Scotland
Finding the right bedding
The 1600-acre farm has tried a range of bedding materials over the years, including sand and sawdust. While sand provided good grip and comfort, it caused major settling issues in the slurry lagoon. Switching to sawdust solved that problem but brought another — rising somatic cell counts.
“When we were bedding on sawdust, we felt it was contributing to bacterial growth, which saw our cell counts start to creep up,” explains David.
“We pride ourselves on good teat health and have invested heavily in that area, including installing a teat scrubber, which has made a huge difference in reducing mastitis levels.”
The farm switched to a 100% paper crumble bedding dried using renewable heat in 2023.
Almost two years on, David says they couldn’t be happier with the results. “It’s not only been great in terms of cow comfort and slurry management, but we also believe it plays an important part also contributed to maintaining our low cell counts and mastitis levels,” he says. “It seems to stay on the cubicles longer too, so we use less bedding overall.”
After some initial research into bedding options, the team concluded that a paper-based bedding would provide a more hygienic environment while remaining easy to
handle through the slurry system.
“We didn’t want a product that caused us extra work or problems in the lagoon,” says David. “Paper bedding ticked every box.”
Efficiency is another key driver behind the herd’s success. Meldrum’s heifers continue to calve down at 23 months on average, with cows achieving 4.5 lactations, well above the national average. The herd’s calving interval of 382 days keeps milk output consistent and underpins business performance.
“We’ve always strived to improve and to become more efficient to drive the business forward,” says David. “That means focusing on the small details that affect cow health and comfort every single day.”
Cows are grouped according to stage of lactation — a fresh pen, a heifer-only group to avoid bullying, high-yielders, and a late-lactation group. Each group receives a carefully balanced TMR including straw, wholecrop wheat, home-grown barley, whey perm, soya, rape meal, palm kernels, silage, draff and minerals.
Cows are milked three times daily — at 3.30am, 11.30am and 7.30pm. Between milkings, cubicles are cleaned and re-bedded when needed to maintain hygiene and comfort.
Results
Since introducing the new bedding and fine-tuning their management, the Meldrum Farm team has seen consistent performance across the herd.
“Cow comfort, udder health, and good management all go hand in hand,” says David. “When cows are comfortable, they rest more, eat more, and give more milk — and that’s exactly what we’re seeing.”
With longevity, low cell counts, and consistent yields to show for it, it’s clear that at Meldrum Farm, comfort isn’t a luxury — it’s a cornerstone of success.
Liz Russell, Managing Director at EnviroSystems- makers of EnviroBed-— 100% paper crumble bedding – says Meldrum Farm is a perfect example of how attention to detail and bedding choice directly influence herd health and performance.
“Cow comfort has a huge impact on productivity, fertility and welfare, and it’s something we’ve focused on for over two decades,” she says.
“EnviroBed is designed to provide a clean, dry, and comfortable environment that supports cows when they need it most. “It’s rewarding to see herds like Meldrum achieving such outstanding results and proving how the right bedding can make a real difference to both welfare and profitability.”
Farms facts
• Milking 1,000 pedigree Holstein cows
• Milked 3 x a day through a 50-point rotatory
• Yielding 13,000l at Butterfat: 3.95% and Protein 3.7%
• 4 milking groups
• Average annual SCC: 130,000
• Mastitis incidence: as low as 90 cases per year (10%)
