There’s nothing more important to a dairy farmer than to keep milk production booming, which requires them to pay attention to anything that could possibly impede uptime.

Walking cows through a footbath containing an antibacterial agent, such as copper sulfate or formalin, has become an industry standard practice to aid in the control of infectious hoof disease.

Every dairy producer knows the health of the herd is invaluable when working to achieve the highest production and profit. The old adage “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” certainly goes a long way to not only prevent the reduction in production but to reduce the difficulties and expense in reaching that pinnacle of profitability.

When it comes to your footbath costs, there’s more to it than just the sticker price. Many dairy producers are looking for ways to cut back on costs, and hoof care products are no exception.

The sole on a cow’s claw protects it from outside harm, similar to the sole of a shoe on a human foot. Having thin soles is similar to wearing thin or worn shoe soles in that the feet are more vulnerable to ground surfaces when they lack that extra layer of protection.

For more than three decades, Vic Larson has been traveling the Minnesota countryside, taking care of dairy cows’ hoof-trimming needs.

Lameness is a sign of pain resulting in an abnormal locomotion, gait or posture. It is a major economic, productivity and animal welfare issue in our industry. Lameness is commonly caused by hoof lesions, which are either infectious or non-infectious.

When it comes to hoof health, there are many factors that go into making sure your cows have healthy hooves. Many of these get overlooked, as they may seem trivial, but are all important to keep hooves healthy.

During and after wet seasons, bacteria and fungus are prevalent. Similar to human toenails, once fungus and bacteria set in, it’s very challenging to conquer.

In days past, before we learned the principles of good hoof care, we would see older, mature dairy cows with overgrown corkscrewed outer claws on their rear feet.