Promoting farm advisor engagement and action toward the improvement of dairy cattle lameness

Objectives

To use qualitative participatory methods to facilitate the formation of lameness management advisory groups with aims to 1) promote advisor engagement with one another to develop lameness action plans, and to 2) explore participants’ experiences of the groups through interviews and thematic analysis.

Materials and methods

Thirteen advisors (5 hoof trimmers, 4 nutritionists, and 4 veterinarians) from Minnesota, USA were recruited for the project, for which they attended planning meetings, a workshop, lameness advisory group meetings, and developed lameness action plans for 10 dairy farms. Advisors were interviewed at the end of the project to document their experiences of the lameness management groups and their interactions with one another. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and common themes identified through thematic analysis. [...]