Quality is the most important added value that good hoof trimmers bring to a farm to prevent diseases such as lameness in dairy cows etc. That doesn’t mean that farmers are hopeless at trimming cow’s feet themselves. It just means that in most cases it can be done better. I used this analogy before and I will use it again now...
A Story - Lameness in Dairy Cows
If I spend a day at a dentist and he shows me everything he knows such as drilling, pulling and filing teeth, then I may party know what to do...but won’t necessarily do a good job. If I go and buy myself a nice comfortable chair (because that is the only comfort I would be able to offer!) and set myself up as a budget dentist in our showroom here on the main road would you like to be my client?
What if I do the first 3 visits for free? I know that hoof trimming is not as complicated as dentistry but there is a whole lot more to hoof trimming than most people realize. Getting a qualification in Holland in professional hoof trimming takes about 14 months and even then there are a number of students that fail.
The Value of Having a Professional Hoof Trimmer
When it comes to the value of hoof trimmers I think it is important to realize that sorting out lameness in dairy cows issues. Issues on the farm is not an issue that hoof trimmers can sort out by themselves.
The aim is to minimize lameness in dairy cows in the first place. Just treating lame cows all the time is just being the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff all the time. The prevention of lameness in dairy cows requires a team effort of which hoof trimmers are an important part. I would also consider vets and nutritionist/farm advisors to be important team members.
Team Members for Preventing Lameness in Dairy Cows
Vets are needed to supply and advise on drugs and do operations like amputating a claw and removing growths between claws as they are qualified for those tasks.
Nutritionist/Farm advisers are needed to assist the farmer in nutrition since that is a major if not the biggest cause of lameness in NZ.Farm advisers must also talk and advise about the physical aspects on the farm. These are issues that can escalate the problems that imbalanced diets cause.
For this team to function well there needs to be good communication between the parties. With a combined effort I am sure that every farm can minimize their lameness in dairy cows issues. I don’t believe that we can avoid it all together but we can get it under control.
If you need advice on building a team of experts or have any specific hoof trimming questions...give me a call on 0800 833 463 or click the button below to request a free quote for our Hoof Trimming Services.
Fred Hoekstra - Lameness in Dairy Cows Expert
