Early intervention is essential when it comes to hoof care and treating lameness in herds, according to Ger Cusack, one of the three founding members of Greenway Agritraining. Research shows one in 10 Irish dairy cows are lame at any one time, with levels rising to over 30% in some herds.
The economic cost of lameness in Irish dairy herds is significant. According to Teagasc, farmers have to pay out an estimated €8,570 per 100-cow herd annually with 10% affected.
“We’re never going to get to the point where we have zero lame cows, but we need to work towards getting it down to an acceptable level by finding the cows that go lame and treating them promptly and properly so they get cured,” says Ger.
Greenway Agritraining delivers hands-on practical hoof-trimming courses on farms in Waterford, Wexford, east Cork, and south Tipperary. The courses are supported by Skillnet and equip attendees with the confidence and ability to look after their cows, tackling lameness on farms while also giving farmers an off-farm income stream if they want to do it part-time.
Friends Ned Dunphy, Ger Cusack and Bob Twigg set out on a mission to specialise in providing practical hands-on hoof care courses for farmers, hoof trimmers and vets. With over 120 years’ experience of hoof trimming between them, they have provided courses to 200 farmers over the last four years.
Men on a mission
“We came together and thought about how we could contribute to improving the number of lame cows on farms. Everybody accepts at this stage that there are too many lame cows. Dairy expansion has certainly exacerbated this problem. You have a larger number of cows on farms that farmers are trying to move quicker, and often you have the same shed space, same yard space and cows are competing a lot more,” says Ger.
“We run three-day courses for farmers to show them basic hoof trimming techniques; how to put on a support block, and more importantly, talk about the risk factors on farms which can be changed to reduce the number of cows that go lame.
“Things like an adequate number of cubicles, good walking surfaces, and strategic usage of rubber where cows are turning are all things that farmers can consider to reduce the number of cows that are going lame on their farms,” Ger explains.
Often, cows that go lame don’t get treated promptly or adequately, and there is a danger they will end up with chronic lameness which is a financial cost to the farmer.
On average, six to eight courses are held throughout the year. The majority happen during the quieter farming months so people have time to leave the farm and attend. They take a maximum of 12 people on any one course with three hoof crates and three trainers. It’s important to provide hands-on training where those attending can pare cows under supervision.
Greenway Agritraining founders Ger Cusack, Ned Dunphy and Bob Twigg. \ Claire Nash
Luke Nally on the hoofcare course held on James Walsh’s farm in Co Tipperary. \ Claire Nash
Funding assistance
The South Tipperary Chamber Skillnet and Farm Business Chamber Skillnet, formerly IFA Skillnet, support the courses with 35% of the cost subsidised making it more affortable for participants. Attendees also take home comprehensive notes, two trimming knives and safety gloves. Training and catering is also included.
At the end of the course, those attending go home with the ablilty 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 five 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 help.
• Understand the risk factors that contribute to lameness problems.
• Know the foot bathing regime that best suits a particular farm.
The trouble at the moment, according to Ned Dunphy, is the lack of professional hoof trimmers in parts of the country.
“There are some areas where farmers are waiting 10 days to get cows done, which is too long. A lame cow needs urgent treatment, and really, it should be a 24-hour service. There are not enough trimmers to meet that demand,” he says.
He continues, “If a cow has a chronic hoof, she’ll never become right; early intervention is key in ensuring better animal welfare and husbandry.”
For anyone looking for off-farm work, hoof trimming is suitable for part-time farmers or young people looking to earn some extra money. Ger recommends investing in a jeep and hoof trimming crate rather than buying a new tractor. “There is heaps of work there if people are willing to roll up their sleeves and do it.”
Irish Country Living spoke to some of the course participants about the training.
Seán O’Brien, Ballygarrett,
Co Wexford
Sean O'Brien. \ Claire Nash
“We went up in cow numbers last year, and we’ve probably introduced Mortellaro into the herd [a hoof disease in cattle caused by bacteria]. It’s a problem, and we’ve cows that are lame quite regularly. This is about trying to learn what maintenance is needed and if there are treatments, we can be doing ourselves.
“If there’s a good batch of cows, we’ll still get our regular person to come in, but I found the course very practical,
“We’re not going to be experts after it, but we’re learning and it will be good to put it into practice. The farmer course was €420. One and a half cases of lameness in your herd will pay for it. It’s a problem every farmer has.”
Paddy Flynn and Luke Nally under the watchful eye of Bob Twigg.
Paddy Flynn, Rathgormack,
Co Waterford
“My father is my hoof trimmer, he is retiring now, he doesn’t want to do it anymore, so I said I would do the course to have an idea of what I am looking for. We have 100 cows and a low incidence [of lameness]. Before the course, I had no hands-on experience of hoof trimming; I just watched my dad. It’s a very good course, they goes through the main problems farmers come across and how to identify them.
“Now I feel that I know what I am looking for and how to treat it. I was here to gain the confidence to go home and be able to do it myself. We don’t have Mortellaro on our farm, and I would be afraid of getting in professionals if their crate wasn’t washed out. There is a biosecurity reason for doing this too.
“I would encourage other farmers to do the course. Preventative measures are better than trying to cure a cow.”
See agritraining.ie
Early intervention is essential when it comes to hoof care and treating lameness in herds, according to Ger Cusack, one of the three founding members of Greenway Agritraining. Research shows one in 10 Irish dairy cows are lame at any one time, with levels rising to over 30% in some herds.
The economic cost of lameness in Irish dairy herds is significant. According to Teagasc, farmers have to pay out an estimated €8,570 per 100-cow herd annually with 10% affected.
“We’re never going to get to the point where we have zero lame cows, but we need to work towards getting it down to an acceptable level by finding the cows that go lame and treating them promptly and properly so they get cured,” says Ger.
Greenway Agritraining delivers hands-on practical hoof-trimming courses on farms in Waterford, Wexford, east Cork, and south Tipperary. The courses are supported by Skillnet and equip attendees with the confidence and ability to look after their cows, tackling lameness on farms while also giving farmers an off-farm income stream if they want to do it part-time.
Friends Ned Dunphy, Ger Cusack and Bob Twigg set out on a mission to specialise in providing practical hands-on hoof care courses for farmers, hoof trimmers and vets. With over 120 years’ experience of hoof trimming between them, they have provided courses to 200 farmers over the last four years.
Men on a mission
“We came together and thought about how we could contribute to improving the number of lame cows on farms. Everybody accepts at this stage that there are too many lame cows. Dairy expansion has certainly exacerbated this problem. You have a larger number of cows on farms that farmers are trying to move quicker, and often you have the same shed space, same yard space and cows are competing a lot more,” says Ger.
“We run three-day courses for farmers to show them basic hoof trimming techniques; how to put on a support block, and more importantly, talk about the risk factors on farms which can be changed to reduce the number of cows that go lame.
“Things like an adequate number of cubicles, good walking surfaces, and strategic usage of rubber where cows are turning are all things that farmers can consider to reduce the number of cows that are going lame on their farms,” Ger explains.
Often, cows that go lame don’t get treated promptly or adequately, and there is a danger they will end up with chronic lameness which is a financial cost to the farmer.
On average, six to eight courses are held throughout the year. The majority happen during the quieter farming months so people have time to leave the farm and attend. They take a maximum of 12 people on any one course with three hoof crates and three trainers. It’s important to provide hands-on training where those attending can pare cows under supervision.
Greenway Agritraining founders Ger Cusack, Ned Dunphy and Bob Twigg. \ Claire Nash
Luke Nally on the hoofcare course held on James Walsh’s farm in Co Tipperary. \ Claire Nash
Funding assistance
The South Tipperary Chamber Skillnet and Farm Business Chamber Skillnet, formerly IFA Skillnet, support the courses with 35% of the cost subsidised making it more affortable for participants. Attendees also take home comprehensive notes, two trimming knives and safety gloves. Training and catering is also included.
At the end of the course, those attending go home with the ablilty 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 five 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 help.
• Understand the risk factors that contribute to lameness problems.
• Know the foot bathing regime that best suits a particular farm.
The trouble at the moment, according to Ned Dunphy, is the lack of professional hoof trimmers in parts of the country.
“There are some areas where farmers are waiting 10 days to get cows done, which is too long. A lame cow needs urgent treatment, and really, it should be a 24-hour service. There are not enough trimmers to meet that demand,” he says.
He continues, “If a cow has a chronic hoof, she’ll never become right; early intervention is key in ensuring better animal welfare and husbandry.”
For anyone looking for off-farm work, hoof trimming is suitable for part-time farmers or young people looking to earn some extra money. Ger recommends investing in a jeep and hoof trimming crate rather than buying a new tractor. “There is heaps of work there if people are willing to roll up their sleeves and do it.”
Irish Country Living spoke to some of the course participants about the training.
Seán O’Brien, Ballygarrett,
Co Wexford
Sean O'Brien. \ Claire Nash
“We went up in cow numbers last year, and we’ve probably introduced Mortellaro into the herd [a hoof disease in cattle caused by bacteria]. It’s a problem, and we’ve cows that are lame quite regularly. This is about trying to learn what maintenance is needed and if there are treatments, we can be doing ourselves.
“If there’s a good batch of cows, we’ll still get our regular person to come in, but I found the course very practical,
“We’re not going to be experts after it, but we’re learning and it will be good to put it into practice. The farmer course was €420. One and a half cases of lameness in your herd will pay for it. It’s a problem every farmer has.”
Paddy Flynn and Luke Nally under the watchful eye of Bob Twigg.
Paddy Flynn, Rathgormack,
Co Waterford
“My father is my hoof trimmer, he is retiring now, he doesn’t want to do it anymore, so I said I would do the course to have an idea of what I am looking for. We have 100 cows and a low incidence [of lameness]. Before the course, I had no hands-on experience of hoof trimming; I just watched my dad. It’s a very good course, they goes through the main problems farmers come across and how to identify them.
“Now I feel that I know what I am looking for and how to treat it. I was here to gain the confidence to go home and be able to do it myself. We don’t have Mortellaro on our farm, and I would be afraid of getting in professionals if their crate wasn’t washed out. There is a biosecurity reason for doing this too.
“I would encourage other farmers to do the course. Preventative measures are better than trying to cure a cow.”
See agritraining.ie
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