Consistent comfort: every cow, every time

DCC Waterbeds offer unparalleled consistency in cow comfort every time she lies down, and in every season, for years on end—no frozen chunks of sand, no hardening mats, no pooling liquids, and less work.

Between replacing manure pumps, sand bedding damaging the parlor equipment, and the fact that sand is just going to keep going up in price, the Esser family of Montfort, Wisconsin, could see that keeping sand in the free stalls was going to cost them more and more as time went on.

DCC Waterbeds are comfortable with minimal maintenance, and you can choose a top bedding that works for your cows. Because DCC Waterbeds shed moisture and dry quickly, you can achieve a consistently low somatic cell count. 

DCC Waterbeds are always there for you and your cows, no matter what. 

The below video of Esser Dairy Farm was taken in 2014. In 2018 we visited the farm again. In 2014, Jason Esser had a lot of good things to say about his transition from sand to DCC Waterbeds. When we visited his farm in 2018, 4 years after his switch, we never expected him to say:

"You could not pay me $1M dollars to switch back to sand."

Amy Throndsen of DCC Waterbeds asked, "Not even this year?" 

"Nope," Jason replied.

Historic low milk prices had plagued the USA Dairy market for nearly 3 years in a row, at that point, making Jason’s comment unexpected.

Jason was happy to report his FARM co-op hock scores were excellent, his cows are comfortable, his production has improved, his manure management is simplified, his soil is healthier.  He beds 1x/day with alternative bedding (paper byproduct) and uses about 1/4 yard for 110 stalls.

Everything that goes into your dairy system, must come out. What is sand’s impact on your soil?

SaND MAY BE HARMING YOUR SOIL

Everything that goes into your dairy system, must come out. For every ton of sand that you put in the free stalls, that same sand must come out. Setting aside the high cost of buying, moving, bedding, and removal of sand bedding, the biggest cost of sand might involve what sand does to your soil over time. 

Factoring in comfort and cost, DCC Waterbeds win

DCC Waterbeds are significantly less expensive than sand. We have produced a cost calculator where you can fill in real farm data to determine just how much you could save by transitioning to DCC Waterbeds.  

 

Comparing comfort, cost, milk production

On par with sand comfort, fewer manure headaches

 “We didn’t want to go with sand because of the manure system. Our cows are just as comfortable as our neighbors who have sand and our production is right up there, but we’re not having to spread the manure or deal with the sand like we see down the road. I’m getting good milk production, good herd health, and we have zero swollen hocks.”

- Michael Stanton, New York
673 DCC Waterbeds Original

+ 220 DCC Waterbeds junior + 45 DCC Waterbeds ISO
Installed: 2009, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2016

Same production, same healthy feet and legs

 “I really don’t know why anyone would want anything other than waterbeds. We get the same production and same healthy feet and legs as we had on sand. The investment has been worth it just in cow comfort, not to mention all of the maintenance benefits.”

- Keith Schulte, Iowa
216 DCC Waterbeds Original
Installed: 2013 | Switched from sand

 

Higher per cow average than on sand

“What I like about waterbeds is they are close as we’ve seen to our sand stalls, and I mean as close to sand on day one or two after filling, in terms of comfort. What is better is the waterbeds are consistent day in and day out, with none of the maintenance. Right now my per-cow average is higher and my cell count is roughly the same as when we had sand bedding. It would be hard to convince me that I would get better production or lower count with sand than I’m getting right now.”

 - Mike Verhasselt, Wisconsin
1,052 DCC Waterbeds Original + 1,638 DCC Waterbeds ISO
Installed: 2011-2015 | Switched from sand

Transform your manure management system

Sand is a curse

“Once the sand leaves the stall, it becomes a curse. We have to have a sand separator and the sand is hard on the equipment, too, as it gets into the manure spreaders. In the summer, the heifers get flies on them, so they want to dig holes down underneath in the sand.”


- Leland Claypoole, Pennsylvania
350 DCC Waterbeds for milking and dry cows + sand in heifer facility
 

DCC Waterbeds stay comfortable year round

Eliminate the headaches of frozen sand

People frequently ask us, do DCC Waterbeds freeze? In a barn with a stocking density at least 1:1, the cows’ use of the beds ensures that they don’t freeze, even in very cold weather. 

Rubber is a good insulator, holding in the cows’ body heat, and preserves the heat from the ground to provide a surface that continues to conform and support the cow comfortably and consistently throughout the year the water temperature is raised to a consistent, comfortable level, ensuring soft waterbeds during the winter months.

What about in a barn with a lower stocking density or in drafty areas of the barn?. How does this compare to sand bedding? Good questions! Check out the answers. 

Frozen sand can cause numerous problems

  • Frozen sand makes bedding stalls very difficult.

  • Frozen sand makes stalls inconsistent and uncomfortably hard to lie on.

  • Cows avoid frozen sand stalls. As acceptable beds go down, competition rises.

  • Chunks of frozen sand in the front and/or back of stalls that may cause discomfort to the cow

  • Chunks of frozen sand in the alley that may cause hoof pain similar to small stones.

  • A large stockpile of frozen sand bedding outside, resulting in the inability to bed the cows during cold weather and leading to significant discomfort and dirty stalls.

Cows can't talk, but dairy producers can

Hear what dairy producers have to say about DCC Waterbeds