Herd Health

“How can I recover more of my lame cows?”

That is a question posed to hoof care professionals by dairy producers frequently.

The last few years have been trying for everyone in the dairy industry, and dairy farmers are no exception to that. As a hoof trimmer of 18 years, I have been on hundreds of dairy farms worldwide and continue to be amazed by the levels of digital dermatitis (DD) I still see when visiting farms.

Rapid, pathogen-specific treatment is quickly becoming one of the major competitive advantages in milk quality management.

Our cows have so many demands on them: Put clean milk in the tank, breed back, efficiently utilize feed and more. However, each of these demands are contingent upon the cow’s mobility.

If there was a way to review your dairy’s results last summer in the areas of pregnancy rates, milk production, feed intakes and lying time, then make proactive changes to your heat abatement program before the dog days of summer arrive, would you do it?

As we enter the spring and summer months, many of us are thinking of all the fun outdoor activities we will finally be able to do.