Farmer Hoofcare & herd lameness management
Course
On this course you will learn about the importance of regular hoof maintenance, how to detect and deal with common hoof conditions causing lameness that can impact the productivity of your dairy herd. The common causes and risk factors that contribute to lameness will also be explained.
If you’d like us to contact you regarding our upcoming course dates, you can simply register your interest and we’ll be in touch.
Day One
Morning – Starting at 9:45am
- Introduction – Ned Dunphy
- Theory – Ger Cusack
- Why we trim feet
- Anatomy & Confirmation
- Most common Lesions of the foot
- Five step Dutch Method – Ned Dunphy
- Questions
Lunch
Afternoon
- Practical Hoof trimming – Ned Dunphy /Ger Cusack/Bob Twigg
- Knife Skills
- Application of shoes, blocks & bandages
Finish at 4pm
Day Two
Morning – Starting at 9:30am
- Practical hoof trimming
- Use of grinder
- Knife Sharpening – Bob Twigg
Lunch
Afternoon
- Theory – Ned Dunphy /Ger Cusack/Bob Twigg
- Cost of Lameness
- 12 Point Plan to Reduce Lameness in your Herd.
- Footbaths
- Animal Handling
- Cow Flow
- Roadways
- Recording
- Mobility Scoring
Day Three (Refresher at a Later Date)
- Refresher/Check Day
- Mobility Scoring
- Cow Flow
- Farm walk reviewing farm infrastructure
At the end of this course, you will be able to:
- Recognise lameness and grade severity.
- Understand the basic anatomy of the bovine foot.
- Know how to restrain a cow and pick up a foot using a hoof crate.
- Understand the 5 steps of the Dutch Method of hoof trimming and apply those to prevent lameness conditions.
- Trim feet effectively.
- Recognise the main diseases leading to lameness.
- Know how to apply a block in an emergency and when to seek specialist help.
- Understand the risk factors that contribute to lameness problems.
- Know the foot bathing regime that would best suit your farm.