Review: European compost bedded-pack barns for dairy cows

There is increasing interest in the use of continuous housing systems for dairy cows, with various reasons put forward to advocate such systems. The objective of this review was to examine existing scientific literature assess the main benefits achieved by the Compost bedded-pack barns (CBP) for housing dairy cow throughout Europe. Although summarizing existing work, knowledge gaps and directions for future research are also identified. The scope of the review is broad, examining relevant topics under three main headings: design, bed management, and composting process. Regarding main headings, some European CBP system does not appear to be similar to the US CBP but producers developed different design and management styles to adapt to the several microclimates that exist in each country. CBP systems had benefits for dairy cow behaviour, in terms of grazing and improved lying/resting times. In summary, the results of this review highlight that there are considerable benefits to animal welfare and animal productivity when housed in Compost bedded-pack barns.