Hoof health

Hoof health

Hoof-related issues, and lameness in general, cause major production losses—often over a much longer period than most people realise. The losses can be very significant if it is a herd-level problem, as the issue is often greater than the records indicate, or if the records are incomplete. It is also an area of great importance for the welfare of the individual cow, and for the cow’s longevity in the herd.​

• Do you know how many lame cows you have?
• Do you know where the problem areas are in your barn?
• Do you know how your incidence of hoof disorders compares with your neighbour’s?
• Do you know how many kg of milk your cows could increase production by if you improved hoof health?
• Do you have good collaboration with your hoof trimmer, and a good understanding of what he is seeing?​

If you cannot answer yes to the above, it may be time to arrange a visit with a hoof focus to see where action can be taken in your herd—so you can improve your bottom line in the long term as a result of better hoof health.