Nine in every 100 cows are lame in Irish dairy herds, according to recent research by Teagasc.

This is a significant number and it can be a very costly condition in a dairy herd if not dealt with effectively.

The Teagasc study also shows the cost of a single case can be up to €500 when you factor in treatments, hoof trimmers and vets.

Herds with high lameness prevalence will also have poorer fertility, higher cull rates and, as a result, there is the cost of a higher replacement rate, which must be factored in.

This article looks at the potential savings there are to be gained from a farmer being capable of treating the lame cows themselves.

Savings

Ultimately, a farmer having the capacity to treat cows quickly and effectively is likely to reduce the number of chronic or serious cases in the herd.

Relying on the hoof trimmer to call out several times a year to keep a herd of cows’ feet in good order is far from the ideal scenario.

Cows that begin to exhibit early signs of lameness need to be dealt with immediately to prevent the problem from getting worse and this could be easily managed by a trained farmer with the right equipment.

For now, we’ll assume a trained farmer would be able to reduce the prevalence of cases from 9% to 5%, which would be very possible by dealing with problems earlier and cutting them out at source.

In a 100-cow herd, that’s a reduction of four cases per year. At a cost of €500 per case, that’s already giving a saving of €2,000.

The trained farmer could also save the cost of calling out the hoof parer or vet in the remaining five cases. At a fee of €90/cow for the call-out and treatment, the farmer will save €450. In total, that’s an annual saving of €2,450/year.

Costs

A hoof-paring crate and hoof-paring training course will give a farmer the skills and equipment necessary to successfully deal with most issues.

A hoof-paring course has to be the starting point. These courses typically run for four full days and cost around €1,200.

The next investment is a hoof-paring crate. There are different specs when it comes to selecting a crate.

There are the hydraulic crates that come equipped with all the bells and whistles. These will be easy to operate, but far more expensive to purchase.

This type of up-market crate is more useful for professional hoof trimmers and can cost over €20,000.

Then there are the more basic crates. While they might not be as all encompassing, they are still very functional and do the job that’s required. The costs of these crates are closer to €4,500 including VAT.

All in with the course and basic crate, the total cost of getting set up is going to be around €5,700.

Return on investment

At a cost of €5,700 to get fully set up and with possible savings per year in the region of €2,500, the return on investment for this particular topic is 43%. This would mean the investment would pay for itself in just over two years.

Some might argue the cost of the farmers' labour hasn’t been accounted for in this return calculation. The reverse argument would be there is also labour involved in sorting and drafting cows for the hoof trimmer, not to mention the extra time that’s spent herding a group of lame cows while waiting for the trimmer's visit.

My rating

This wasn’t an investment I had given much consideration to at first in all honesty. However, after seeing the figures and benefits, there’s no doubt it’s an excellent skill to have and a major asset to the business for a very small investment relative to others we have covered.

With this in mind, I’d give this investment a 5/5 rating. Time spent upskilling will never go to waste and I think it’s fair to say most people would agree, particularly when there will be financial benefits.