HOOF CARE IN ROBOTIC MILKING

Is hoof care different in robotic milking, as compared to parlor barns? I asked that question of Brett Illies. Bret was a professional hoof trimmer, and now he works as a Hoof Care Specialist for AgroChem. * The principles of hoof care are the same in all barns. There are some characteristics of robot barns that make the application different.

Foot Bath Products

The correct product for a robot barn depends on the location of the foot bath.  Most robot barns either have the foot bath at the exit to the robot, or in a cross alley between the feeding area and the resting area. The footbath at the exit to the robot is convenient because cows go through it without extra handling. Water is readily available to fill the bath near the robots, and people are nearby to observe the condition of the solution. On the other hand, footbaths on the exit may interfere with cows leaving the robot, and potentially corrosive footbath chemicals are close to the robots. Putting the footbath in a cross-alley improves cow traffic around the robot and keeps the chemicals away from the robots, but pushing cows through the cross-alley foot bath is extra work which disrupts the daily flow of the barn. Use a milder product if footbaths are at the exit to the robot. Stronger products may irritate the feet if cows make several trips to the robot on footbath day. Stronger products can be used if the footbath is in a cross alley where cows only make one pass on footbath day.

Trimming Frequency

Strategic trimming is the gold standard for maintaining healthy hooves and minimizing lameness. Strategic trimming includes at least two trims – one after peak milk production, and the other before dry-off. The trimmer has to come at least once a month to maintain that schedule. Smaller robot herds may have difficulty presenting enough cows every month for the trimmer to justify a trip the farm and a setup. As an alternative, many farms trim the whole herd twice a year. Twice a year trimming also minimizes the number of days that the trimming process interferes with cow flow. While whole herd trimming is not ideal, it does provide a structure that makes sure every cow is trimmed on a regular basis. If whole herd trimming is the best fit for your dairy, consider trimming every five months instead of six. It will help maintain the correct interval between post peak and dry-off trims.

Manure Removal

Manure is detrimental to hoof health. Manure and hooves share the same space in dairy barns. Obviously, it is not practical to avoid getting manure on hooves. Footbaths help to counteract the harmful effects of manure. As a simple rule of thumb, avoid having cows step in manure that is deeper than the footbath. That rule is kept in most parts of the barn on most days. Check the depth of the manure being pushed by the automatic alley scraper and think about how many cows step in that pile. Scrape more frequently to minimize the depth in front of the scraper. Monitor the manual-scrape areas. Less manure on the hooves also means less manure tracked into the beds.

Maintain good footing in traffic areas around the robots, in fetch pens, commitment pens, and sort gates. Ask your trimmer what they are seeing. Hoof trimmers see a side of cows that the rest of us do not. Contact Cow Corner to get one more set of eyes helping you monitor hoof care on your farm.

*Cow Corner does not endorse AgroChem or its products.