Cattle lameness is one of the most significant health and welfare issues affecting the UK herd today.
Much time and profit is lost each year, with the average lameness case costing nearly £350.00.
Most of this cost is ‘hidden’, and is due to reduced fertility, increased culling and reduced yield.
Scarsdale Vets offers the AHDB Healthy Feet Programme, which aims to help you reduce the number of lame cows on your farm. A trained ‘Mobility Mentor’ will work with you to tackle lameness.
The programme includes the following:
In the dairy industry alone, it is estimated that £90 million per year is lost as a result of direct and indirect costs of lameness. A significant contributing factor to this can be hooves not kept in adequate condition.
For routine foot trimming, we recommend our clients use a fully licensed trimmer. Professional foot trimmers are skilled, efficient and will bring their own crush and equipment. For a list of fully licensed trimmers, see the NACFT (National Association of Cattle Foot Trimmers) website.
Scarsdale Vets will advise on any aspects of foot care and will attend to any feet requiring surgical veterinary treatment.
