Development of an Extension Programme to Reduce Dairy Cattle Lameness in New Zealand

Cows that become lame due to trauma are a significant issue for New Zealand dairy farmers. Lameness costs farmers in time and money, and can also negatively impact on staff retention. The incidence of lameness ranges from 5 – 50% in similarly designed and operated dairy systems. National lameness experts agree that it is physical trauma which tends to be the tipping point for causing clinically lame cows.
A project was designed to extend current knowledge and reduce the incidence of lameness due to physical factors. The project involved a 5 step programme branded as the Healthy Hoof Programme (HHP). Pilot studies involving 10 farms in the first season and 30 in the second, ensured the HHP worked in practice. Learning resources designed to meet requirements of large farm teams were developed to augment the HHP. There have been significant lessons learnt and refinements made, during this development process.
The extension programme has lead to decreases in cow lameness and increased awareness ...