Hoof Care | Progressive Dairy

Practical footbath designs for any farm

Consider these do's and don’ts when designing an effective footbath for the dairy herd.

October 16, 2023

Footbaths have been used for over 25 years for the control of infectious hoof diseases. In drawing on years of consulting with farms all over the globe, there are do's and don’ts to consider when designing a footbath and implementing practical protocols.

Using the power of genetics to improve hoof health

The Canadian genetic evaluation for Hoof Health assists producers in making long-term improvements to their herd. Below are answers to common questions about the evaluation.

July 27, 2023

Hannah Sweett and Allison Fleming

In dairy herds across the globe, feet and leg problems that typically lead to lameness consistently rank as one of the top culling reasons.

Breaking the 'become lame and stay lame' mentality

Too often, cows become lame, stay lame and leave the herd. In understanding the seven key factors that reduce chronic lameness, farms can break the “become lame, stay lame” cycle.

July 21, 2023

Karl Burgi

The latest data shows between 2% and 54% of dairy cows worldwide can be lame in a given year.

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Take a team approach to improve lameness management

Multiple farm advisers are often independently involved in lameness management. A recent study revealed the benefits of bringing advisers together to provide early and effective lameness treatments and developing prevention strategies.

June 14, 2023

Erin Wynands

Due to the significant negative impact on cow welfare and the complexity of the issue, multiple farm advisers are often involved in lameness management.

How WCROC’s farm combatted lameness in a grazing herd

Lameness is one of the greatest costs to dairy cattle, yet many grazing herds do not incorporate a routine hoof trimming schedule into herd management. One farm has developed a schedule that does not interrupt the grazing schedule and makes hoof health a priority.

June 1, 2023

Brad Heins and William (Willie) Coyne

Lameness is one of the costliest disorders of dairy cattle, even in a grazing dairy herd. Yet, many grazing dairy cattle are not part of a routine hoof trimming schedule.

Beyond the stall: How partial outdoor access affects gait and hoof health of movement-restricted cows

Results from a recent study illustrate minor alterations in management practices can enhance cow mobility.

April 6, 2023

Amir Nejati, Elise Shepley, and Elsa Vasseur

The dairy industry's reliance on indoor housing systems that restrict animal movement has raised concerns about animal welfare. Although many dairy farms in Canada still rely on facilities that restrict animal movement without providing pasture access, studies have shown that cows benefit greatly from spending time outdoors.

Developing genetic, management tools to improve hoof health

Research from the Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding and the University of Minnesota is identifying and recording hoof health traits on farms to establish a data pipeline that can result in U.S. genetic evaluations and improved herd management tools.

January 9, 2023

Kristen Parker Gaddis and Javier Burchard

The U.S. has high-quality data pipelines for the flow of production, fertility and health records, but there is not currently a pipeline of hoof health information. As an essential first step, CDCB, the University of Minnesota (UMN) and several collaborators are working to consistently identify and record hoof health traits.

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J1 students may be an option for employment

A hoof trimmer shares his experience bringing on a foreign intern for a year-long appointment.

August 18, 2022

Edwin (Skip) Blake

Footbath design: Is yours getting the job done?

February 25, 2022

Chip Hendrickson

Footbath protocols are vital to ensuring hoof health in your herd. Over the years, dairy producers across the globe have adapted their operations to have footbaths on the farm to help ward off infectious hoof disease such as digital dermatitis.