Understanding the Importance of Hoof Health

Lameness is one of the most critical issues affecting dairy cows, leading to decreased milk production, reduced fertility, and increased culling rates. Proper hoof health management is essential to prevent these problems and ensure the overall well-being of the herd. Implementing a hoof health program with BoviSync can help identify issues early, track treatment outcomes, and improve overall herd health.

Key Benefits of Using BoviSync

·         Customizable Protocols: The software supports customizable treatment protocols, allowing you to tailor interventions to meet the specific needs of your herd. Powerful tools allow dairies to fine tune when eligibility for maintenance trims and prioritize lame trims. 

·         Detailed Reporting and Analysis: BoviSync provides detailed reports and analysis, helping you track the effectiveness of treatments and make informed decisions.

·         Integrated Task Management and recording: Task management features ensure that hoof health tasks are scheduled and completed on time, reducing the risk of missed treatments or inspections. In addition, the BoviSync app simplifies data capture for detailed insights while increasing labor efficiency. 

Steps to Execute a Successful Hoof Health Program

1.     Set Clear Objectives

Begin by defining the objectives of your hoof health program. These may include reducing the incidence of lameness, improving treatment outcomes, and increasing overall herd productivity. Clear objectives will guide the development and implementation of your program.

2.     Conduct Initial Assessments

Perform thorough initial assessments to establish a baseline for hoof health within your herd.

·         What is currently being recorded at hoof trimming?

·         Is maintenance trimming done on time?

·         What is the current prevalence of Laminitis in the herd? Is this something that should be recorded regularly?

·         Is lesion and treatment identification consistent?

Pen scoring is a feature available to consultants and farms. This feature is particularly useful for recording locomotion scores: Pen Scoring

3.     Develop Treatment Protocols

Using the customizable features of BoviSync, develop treatment protocols tailored to the specific needs of your herd. These protocols should include preventive measures, such as regular hoof trimming, as well as recording common hoof ailments like digital dermatitis or sole ulcers. Here are the types of specific entries available in BoviSync: Hoof Maintenance Types Note that all hoof maintenance entries are intended to be recorded as separate events.

The Dairyland Initiative website recommends recording digital dermatitis (active and inactive), foot rot, sole ulcers, white line lesions/disease/abscesses, and toe ulcers/thin soles. Minimizing options and defining criteria will provide better information for later analysis.

Additional resources are available online:

·         Lesion Record and Analysis (Dairyland Initiative)

·         Dairy Claw Lesion Identification Guide (Zinpro)

4.     Monitor and Record Data

Capture detailed data in BoviSync to ensure that all information is up-to-date and easily accessible. This includes identifying lame cows, the condition of the hooves, any treatments administered, and the outcomes of these treatments. Hoof trimming information is entered from an event screen designed to match the farm management. Buttons can be added and removed for specific lesions with corresponding options. In addition, options can be added to capture limbs affected.

The technician of each event can be entered manually or preferably tied to a device assigned to each user. BoviSync recommends a device logged in for most users on the dairy for easy tracking by technicians and better accountability for devices.

5.     Analyze and Adjust

Regularly analyze the data collected in BoviSync to assess the effectiveness of your hoof health program. Look for trends or patterns that may indicate underlying issues or areas for improvement. Adjust your protocols and treatment plans as needed based on these insights.

     

6.     Train Your Team

Whether hoof trimming is performed by a contractor or a farm employee training specific to your dairy is necessary. Ensure that all team members involved in hoof health management are trained in how to use BoviSync effectively. This may include data entry, task management, and interpreting reports. Regular training sessions can help keep everyone up to date and ensure that best practices are being followed.

7.     Foster Culture of Prevention

Encourage a proactive approach to hoof health within your team. Emphasize the importance of early detection and prevention and use BoviSync to support this culture. By prioritizing preventive measures, you can reduce the incidence of lameness and improve overall health.

BoviSync allows comprehensive management of hoof health programs with a customizable mobile app, powerful protocols, and extensive reporting.

Hoof Maintenance – Lame trim versus maintenance trim

BoviSync has two specific categories for trims depending on the type. Trim is intended for maintenance trimming and lame trim is intended for unplanned trimmed due to lameness. The three main reasons for separating trim types are prioritizing lame cows, building different workflows, and enhanced reporting. When a cow is lame, corrective action can improve productivity and the well-being of the cow. The lame trim is often definitely different from regular maintenance trim as treatment for specific lesions is often the priority. Lame trims and trims have different associated items for reporting and modifying protocols. Farms can elect to simplify recording of hoof trimming by not using lame trim if animals can be taken care of immediately but will have less ability to distinguish between trimmings in protocols and reporting.

Respond to Lameness Quickly

When signs of lameness are detected, it’s crucial to respond promptly. Utilize BoviSync to quickly access historical data on the affected cow to understand any previous issues or treatments that may influence the current situation. Timely intervention can significantly reduce recovery time and mitigate the impact on milk production and overall herd health.

Recommended lameness workflow

Encourage everyone that works with cows to identify lameness. Training on identifying lameness and the herd hoof trimming program is essential for compliance and understanding the goals of the herd. For example, most BoviSync farms add lameness buttons in the BoviSync app. Simply click the lameness button and input the cow id. Lameness in BoviSync is recorded as a disease diagnosis. Recording a lameness event can be used to enroll animals in protocols or additional actions like automatically sorting them. Lameness events allow reporting and analysis beyond hoof trimming and can demonstrate the herds commitment to quick follow-up.  

This is the default Lame Cow Hoof Trim Protocol, available in BoviSync:

When activated, any Lame event for a cow not trimmed in the last 14 days will be enrolled into this protocol. Two chores will be assigned. First a Hoof Maintenance chore for a lame trim. The second chore is a paint chore to assist with finding or sorting the animal from the pen. Clearing (checking off a chore on the current list versus completing) a paint chore allows the staff to find the animal without completing the lame trim chore.

Chore Lists can exclude or include specific chores based on type and notes. Typically, larger herds elect to have a specific chore list of lame trims to prioritize these animals. Lists intended for maintenance trims may include or exclude lame trims based on the preference of the dairy.

Recording Lame Trim

When completed at the chute, recording lame trim helps distinguish between maintenance trims. This may involve completing an existing trim task or entering a new trim event. Dairies aim to decrease the overall number of lame trims due to clinical lameness because of the negative associations with culling and productivity. Any specific lesions or treatments should be recorded separately in addition to the lame trim.

The BoviSync mobile app supports an unlimited number of Entry forms. Entry forms are customized to the work being done. Each chore list in the app is assigned a default entry form. A pareto approach is recommended for setting up entry screens on BoviSync mobile. Specific buttons should be added to cover 90% of the entries. Common lesions should have their own button. Less common lesions can use fewer specific buttons that provide greater flexibility.

Follow-up treatments

One of the great features of BoviSync is the ability to manage work in the future. Some real examples:

·         BoviSync can automatically create follow-up trim chores from lame trim events.

·         A button can be added to the hoof trim entry screen to return a cow to the chute in 7 or 14 days. Eliminating “special lists” is one way to make sure task get completed.

·         Wraps and blocks can be automatically scheduled for follow-up as well. Specific chores for these allow them to be separated from other tasks.

Following up on problem cows and treatments is easier when tasks provide clarity for the work. Dairies of all sizes can take advantage of better task allocation and time savings with the BoviSync mobile app when doing chores like hoof trimming.

Routine Hoof Maintenance focused on prevention

Consistency is key in maintaining hoof health. Set up a routine hoof maintenance schedule that includes regular inspections and trimming. By adhering to a strict schedule, you can prevent many hoof-related issues before they start. Make sure to document all maintenance activities in BoviSync to track the health and progress of each cow. Regular maintenance helps to identify potential problems early, allowing for timely interventions and reducing the overall incidence of lameness.

Typical maintenance trim workflow

Trimming cows twice a lactation is a generally accepted recommendation. Generally, cows will be enrolled sometime after peak milk (90-140 DIM) then trimmed again at or around dry off. Some farms also trim all heifers prior to the first calving as well. The default Maintenance Hoof trim protocol includes a criteria enrollment based off a BoviSync report. Modify this report to match timing of maintenance trims. Trims at dry off are most often recorded automatically if they are done immediately after drying off. Otherwise, a chore can be created at dry off or prior to dry off.

Recording maintenance trims should be done by completing maintenance trim chores or entering new Hoof Maintenance events with the option Trim. Again, this should be a button on a trim event list in BoviSync.

Getting cows trimmed on time

Effective task management is crucial for productivity. The mobile app syncs chores from BoviSync, displaying them on customizable lists that can be completed directly. Trim chores stay visible until they are done. Chores offer more flexibility than managing cow lists.

The Trim chore summary by pen report shows the number of animals needing maintenance or lame trims by pen, demonstrating how chores can optimize labor efficiency.

Hoof Maintenance Event and Reporting Reference

Hoof Maintenance Event is for recording the type of trimming, lesions, and claw specific events. Hoof Maintenance Types:

Treatment: (default: trim)  Actions

• Axial Wall Fissure

• Block

• Bruise White Line Hemorrhage

• Corn

• Digital Dermatitis (Heel Wart)

• Digital Sepsis

• Foot Rot

• Hairy Attack

• Hairy Heel Warts

• Heel Erosion

• Hock

• Horizontal Fissure

• ID (Dermatitis)

• Lame Trim

• Laminitis

• Lesion

• Remove block

• Remove wrap

• Rotated Claw

• Sole Fracture (heel ulcer)

• Sole Hemorrhage

• Sole Ulcer

• Super Foot Rot

• Thin Soles

• Toe Ulcer

• Trim

• Upper Limb

• Vertical Fissure (sand crack)

• White Line Abscess or Fissure

• Wrap

Limb:

• All

• Front Left

• Front Right

• Rear Left

• Rear Right

Side

• Abaxial

• Axial