© Western Dairy Digest, Spring 2002

Management RailsManagement rails, also known as palpation rails, aresimple structures that facilitate treatment of smallgroups of animals. Because they can be placed incow flow areas, management rails simplify animalselection and restraint. Front pipes position headsand a rail in the rear restrains movement. Cows arepositioned herringbone-style, allowing for rectal ex-aminations, breeding or injections.

Management rails are most useful when a smallnumber of cows requiring treatment can be sortedas they leave the milking parlour. Cows not requir-ing restraint are free to return to the feed bunk orfree stalls. Management rails are less appropriate for

Front

Rear

60 in

36 in

40 in

Parlo

urR

etur

nA

lley

Nor

mal

Cow

Flow

HeadArea

CowArea

WorkArea

4 ft 4 ft 5 ft

Gate

Gate

restraint of a large proportion of the herd where ani-mals are forced to stand while waiting for treatment,disrupting cow flow. Compared to self-lockingheadgates, management rails cost less per animal andoffer a safer work environment by providing suffi-cient restraint, preventing cows from kicking andvirtually eliminating the risk of cow injury.sources: Monsanto Company; Roger Palmer, Dairy Business

Communications, http://www.dairybusiness.com/midwest/Sep00/rogpalmer.htm