Lame cattle can lead to limp profits
Farmers in Shropshire will soon be able to hear first hand from renowned New Zealand vet Neil Chesterton about reducing lameness in cows.
Cattle lameness is one of the most significant welfare and productivity issues in dairy farming, which is why the Agriculture and Horticulture Board has teamed up with Neil to deliver these open meetings across England and Wales.
Neil will be talking at the event in Pontesbury, on Wednesday, August 30, about how good cow flow improves efficiency and operations around the dairy farm, cutting stress in cows and lowering wear and damage to feet.
Lameness not only affects cow welfare and staff morale, but can cost at least one pence per litre in lost milk yield, treatment and higher culling rates. It’s vital to understand the causes through working with a cow’s natural instinct and looking at how it is possible to help reduce incidence of lameness and improve mobility.
Neil believes that one of the key factors in the fight against lameness is reducing forces on the feet, and this includes aspects such as cow comfort and cow flow. The way we move and handle cows and the surfaces they walk on affects their feet and therefore impacts on lameness levels.
The good news is there are simple ways to minimise foot damage and Neil will talk about:
• Cows indoors - low-stress handling; quality flooring; and recognising cow behaviour such as dominance, preference for routine and being a follower.
• Cows at milking - entry and exit to the parlour with correct use of backing gates; milking order is different to walking order; space; and reducing standing times.
• Cows going out to grass - the importance of good track construction and maintenance.
• AHDB Dairy’s Healthy Feet programme
Following an overview of the ‘lameness map’ principle from AHDB Dairy’s Healthy Feet programme, Neil will walk farmers around the facilities on the farm. He will show where the main risks to cows’ feet are and offer practical ways and innovative suggestions to minimise damage
Details of this meeting, and others across the country, including one in Cheshire on August 24, can be found on our events page www.dairy.ahdb.org.uk/events. To book a place, farmers should contact the AHDB Dairy KE Events hub on 01904 771216 or email ke.events@ahdb.org.uk.
If you’re unable to make this, or any of the others, there will also be a webinar focusing on reducing pressures on the foot, on August 29 from 7pm to 8pm. You can also book on to this through the events page of the website.
Thom Washbourne, AHDB Dairy
