Provita Animal Health are pleased to be exhibiting at The Royal Ulster Winter Fair on 14th December 2017, at the Balmoral Showgrounds. This is an established and highly successful event in the agricultural calendar and is an ideal opportunity for farmers to speak to the Provita team for farm-specific advice and great special offers. Visitors will also see top class cattle compete for the title of Supreme Champion.
Provita Animal Health has been engaged in the development, manufacturing and marketing of natural animal health products for many years now. They are the only GMP licensed facility for the production of veterinary probiotic products and the only FDA audited facility for the production of hoof care products. Provita are proud to provide farmers in Northern Ireland, and globally, with innovative products to maintain good health and improve animal performance. The company has an extensive Research & Development Department which has allowed it to develop a range of products specific for all livestock production sectors and they cover a wide range of categories including probiotics, feed supplements, colostrum products, electrolytes, air purifiers, hoof care products, feed additives and mint gels.
Provita are currently offering a bespoke semi-automated system which can help solve the problems which come with footbathing, along with a contracted usage of Provita Hoofsure Endurance. On the day of the Winter Fair, visitors to the Provita stand will be able to view a sample automated footbath, with all the features which can be supplied, for a fully equipped one. The system can be tailored to the farm’s specific requirements and each of the elements can be customised to suit the individual farm. There is an option for a modified water powered pump which will apply the Hoofsure Endurance to the footbath through an in-line water supply. This means that you will not have to handle any chemicals making it safer to use. Hoofsure Endurance will always be used at the correct dilution, and the pump can be easy adjusted to release a percentage of the product between the dilution rates of 1% to 5%. Another option is an electronic control box which can pump a set amount of water to the footbath at the press of a button to ensure the correct depth. The final part of the system is the footbath itself which can be plastic, or made to measure concrete, or 3.5mm stainless-steel which can have the emptying bung or nut positioned differently as required.
Many farmers including Adrian Daly, from Eglish in Co Tyrone who runs a 90-cow dairy herd with plans to expand to 130 cows in the next year, have availed of this service. He explains why he contacted Provita to help with lameness on his farm:
‘I called Provita back in the spring time, around the end of April. I recognised that we had a big problem and needed help to sort out the levels of lameness on the farm. We had used other products to tackle the problem however nothing seemed to work properly.’
As part of the plan to reduce the lameness levels on his farm, Provita arranged for an upgraded footbathing system, which included a control box which means that filling the footbath is as simple as pressing an on button. The dilution pump which was installed keeps the solution rate at the level selected. The footbath solution is then pumped through a pipe from the dairy to the footbath on order to keep the control box and pump away from and the cows. To ensure correct depth there is also top up button, which allows Adrian to maintain the adequate depth of solution needed when using the footbath fill for a second, third or even fourth fill.’
‘Overall this way of footbathing is very convenient for me. I can be sure that the footbath is filled with the exact concentration and depth. I don’t need to worry about handling the product or that I might waste any. It has made the whole process very simple and I can see the great results from using a semi-automated system with Hoofsure Endurance,’ Adrian confirmed.
Ryan McElduff from Carrickmore in Co Tyrone, who is working with his uncle Patrick, is committed to a major investment programme on their dairy farm, and in keeping with this he contacted Provita to assess the levels of lameness on his farm and get a protocol and footbathing facility in place which worked for his farm.
The new footbathing system which was developed by Ryan in conjunction with Provita, comprises a collecting area and double-up footbath combination, which the cows can access conveniently post milking.
The new footbathing arrangement is set up within a race way for the cows. The cows, will step into a 3m-long concrete pre-wash bath, containing water only firstly. A further 5 feet along is a stainless steel bath containing the actual footbath solution. The second footbath has been specifically manufactured to meet the needs of a modern dairy farming business. It is made from stainless steel with a chequered plate finish. Stainless steel was chosen as it is the material which is most resistant to the corrosive potential of footbathing solutions. It has been measured and fitted with a stainless steel step off plate to protect the concrete after the footbath, where the majority of the wear and tear can occur.
The new set up constitutes a permanent footbathing facility on the farm. Ryan can utilise it or by-pass-it allowing the bath to be used once a day. This allows the same mix to be reused 3 days in a row, which makes it very cost effective. He has also specified water powered, modified pumping system that will act to ensure the required concentration of footbath solution is used at all times. This means when the valve is opened to fill the bath water and Hoofsure Endurance comes out mixed at the right rate every time no matter who is doing the job. It also means you don’t need a measuring jug, or to handle the concentrated Hoofsure Endurance.
Provita Hoofsure Endurance is a proprietary blend of organic acids, tea tree oil and wetting agents that have been specially developed to clean and care for the hooves of cattle and sheep. It is a safe and biodegradable product, which can be easily disposed into a slurry pit or lagoon. Its blend of organic acids helps clean and disinfect the hooves. The wetting agents enhance Hoofsure Endurance’s performance by allowing greater penetration and improved cleaning.
Visit the Provita stand EK50 to discuss farm-specific protocols for this season for all your animal health needs and avail of special offers or orders places on the day!