MOVES TO KEEP LAMENESS AT BAY
MAKE THE RIGHT
MOVES TO KEEP LAMENESS AT BAY
Putting more thought into moving cows and the surfaces
they have to walk on could pay dividends in terms of
fewer lameness cases. Jeremy Hunt reports
Allowing cows to move at their own pace could cut lameness significantly; a problem costing a 100-cow herd about £4000/year typically.
DAIRY farmers could significantly reduce the incidence of cow lameness in their herds by improving several basic management and handling tasks.
Even simple changes to the manner in which cows are driven from the parlour to pasture could make a big difference in reducing lameness.
That is the view of Jo Baggaley following her BSc thesis undertaken at Harper Adams University College, Newport, Shropshire.
"If a cow can walk properly she can function efficiently and more profitably. The knock-on effect of cows with locomotion problems is immense in terms of the impact on performance, fertility and general health; but it is still hugely underestimated," says Miss Baggaley, who has recently begun working as a dairy consultant with Promar Int-ernational in the north of England.
She believes good tracks to achieve correct cow flow between farm and field can have a big impact on the incidence of lameness and deserve more consideration.
"As well as selecting the correct surface material its important to give cows enough room to allow them to decide where they walk on the track.
Walking pace
"If you allow a cow to walk at her own pace and provide enough width on the track she will be able to see where and choose exactly where she wants to place her feet."
Miss Baggaley urges all farmers to review the way in which cows are driven. A narrow track on which cows are driven hard – especially where no surface has been laid down – greatly increases foot problems.
"Many tracks are too narrow, possibly rutted if they are also used by farm vehicles. Where cows are driven hard with a dog – or a dog and a tractor – the herd is probably being pushed along at a speed that prevents individual animals from seeing where they are placing their feet.
"Cows which are moving along with their heads resting on the back of the animal in front have no idea what they are likely to be stepping on to.
"This is a stressful situation for the herd and problems are inevitable. In some cases farm staff carry a stick and, unwittingly, tap the last cow repeatedly to maintain momentum while shouting in the hope that it will keep the herd moving forward.
"The tail-end cows are probably the oldest or the most lame and yet they are the ones under greatest pressure. I have seen situations where excellent tracks have been laid but where the job of moving cows has been totally undermined by impatient handling.
"We need to adopt an equally patient approach during milking. We all know that milking time needs to be as efficient as possible but I have been on some units where herdsmen will use verbal and physical means to get cows out of the parlour as quickly as possible.
"These are high risk situations where cows are being hurried, often on a slippery surface, and being pushed out into a collecting yard where they may come face to face with a boss cow or have to make a sharp turn."
Miss Baggaley says even if a track has not been laid, a review of cow flow around the farm could identify where improvements could be made.
"Many herds could reduce lameness by adopting a more sympathetic approach to handling and allowing cows to move at their own pace. It may only take a few minutes longer but the benefits are enormous."
Miss Baggaley, who has also spent three years working on a 1000-cow dairy herd in Portugal, says enough room should be allocated when designing tracks to allow farm vehicles to follow their own route while allowing cows to stay on the track surface.
Environmental lameness
Much of the data from Miss Baggaleys research into environmental lameness was drawn from a close study of 30 dairy units in Cheshire and Shropshire.
Tracks were scored for surface, width and maintenance and there was a clear correlation between low scoring tracks and herds with low locomotion scores.
A concrete track, providing it was not ridged and cows were driven correctly, offered an acceptable surface.
"Concrete surfaces are long lasting and hard wearing but they must not be abrasive or rough. Its important to keep concrete tracks leading to fields free from stones and chips especially if these are routes used by farm vehicles as well as cows."
Miss Baggaley says lameness is still the third largest cause of income loss after fertility and mastitis and, according to Milkminder figures, can cost the average 100-cow herd about £4000/year.
She believes many farmers remain unaware of the distances cows have to walk during the summer. "In the herds I looked at cows were walking two to three miles a day to and from grazing."
Track length
The results from a questionnaire carried out on 10 Shropshire dairy farms showed that the length of cow track varied from 120m (393ft) to 543m (1780ft) with track width ranging from 4m (13ft) to 9m (29.5ft).
From this sample it was shown that the farmer with the highest score for patient handling of his cows – at least 3m (10ft) away when driving the herd – had the highest herd locomotion score within the sample. The three farms scoring the lowest score for patient handling also had low herd locomotion scores.
Less than one-third of the surfaces used were classified as ideal.
While Miss Baggaley believes a review of tracks and surfaces should be undertaken this winter in readiness for spring turnout, she also suggests dairy farmers consider the effects of their winter housing layout on lameness.
"Many cows have to cope with sharp turns in the cubicle building and often as they leave the parlour. If anything can be done to avoid stock being put into a difficult situation of manoeuvre it should be given serious consideration.
"Where cows have to make a full 90-degree turn on a wet indoor surface during the winter there is a much higher risk of damage to legs and feet.
"These are hot-spots of stress in a herd situation where boss cows can also impose an added problem. Often it may just be a case of easing the angle of turn or even removing a wall to make cow flow more acceptable and enable cows to move around more freely."
Miss Baggaley says adopting a more understanding approach to cow behaviour, relating to animals inside during winter and to driving stock during the grazing season, can alleviate many problems associated with poor locomotion. *
POINTS TO PONDER
• Dont hurry cows when moving.
• Consider track surfaces.
• Avoid any sharp turns.
Many tracks are too narrow or rutted by farm vehicles making them less than ideal for cows to walk on, says consultant Jo Baggaley.