Provita is obviously keen to promote the benefits of Hoofsure Endurance.However, there are large numbers of milk producers who are more than ready to endorse its effectiveness, courtesy of the experience gained by using the product on their own farms.
“We traditionally footbath the milking herd Monday through to Friday, after morning and evening milkings. However, we realised that this was only tackling half of the problem, as dry cows and freshly calved heifers were bringing the problem back into the main cubicle house once they started milking,” Moneymore dairy farmer Richard Johnston confirmed
“At the beginning of the current housing season, after a joint lameness assessment visit by John Grant from Parklands and Tommy Armstrong Provita, we decided to put a footbath into the shed occupied by the dry cows and in calf heifers. The footbath solution is changed every second day.”
Richard continued:
“We are delighted with the way in which the stock have taken to the new feature. What’s more, the signs are that it is allowing us to get to grips with lameness issues with the dry cows and heifers.”
Richard and Walter are using Provita’s Hoofsure Endurance as the active ingredient in all their footbath solutions.
The Walker family from Randalstown, owners of the renowned Caddy herd, had noticed an upsurge in digital dermatitis over recent weeks. Alec Walker takes up the story.
“We are currently foot bathing three times a week with Hoofsure Endurance,” he further explained.
“That’s after each milking on each of the days in question. And it is helping us to get on top of the problem. Cows with sore feed go off their feed, milk yields drop and it is more difficult to get these cows back in calf. Lameness is a condition that impacts on every aspect of cow performance.
“We are also foot bathing dry cows and heifers, on a regular basis, as a means of dealing with the challenge of lameness at an overall farm level, rather than just concentrating on the milking herd.”
Alec concluded:
“There’s no point in foot bathing the milking herd only, as freshly calved heifers and dry cows will simply come into the main shed, bringing with them new sources of infection.”
And finally a veterinarian’s perspective on digital dermatitis.
John Grant from Parklands commented “Regular daily footbathing of dry cows, in calf heifers and the main milking herd must be placed at the very heart of each dairy farmer’s response to the growing challenge of lameness.”