In Pictures - Leaders in Lameness Descend on Moorepark
The importance of a proactive approach to hoof health was the key takeaway from the inaugural Hoof Health Symposium at Teagasc Moorepark last week.
The event was run by Irish animal health distributer Pharvet, in partnership with XLVets and Teagasc. Attended by various stakeholders including vets, farmers, hoof trimmers and academics, the star attraction was world-renowned New Zealand vet Neil Chesterton. Neil’s enthralling presentation focused on the cow’s point of view, optimization of her environment and farmer behaviour. Using video examples, Neil was able to demonstrate seemingly inconspicuous triggers to multiple large scale lameness problems he had encountered around the world.
The event was run by Irish animal health distributer Pharvet, in partnership with XLVets and Teagasc. Attended by various stakeholders including vets, farmers, hoof trimmers and academics, the star attraction was world-renowned New Zealand vet Neil Chesterton. Neil’s enthralling presentation focused on the cow’s point of view, optimization of her environment and farmer behaviour. Using video examples, Neil was able to demonstrate seemingly inconspicuous triggers to multiple large scale lameness problems he had encountered around the world.
Following up, Conor Geraghty of FarmGate Veterinary group in Galway described how their practice has embraced hoof health with the purchase of a hydraulic hoof trimming crush, while Teagasc researcher Dr. Natasha Browne presented Irish data from dairy herds, outlining trends in lameness and key risk areas.
In the on-farm practical session, Dr Nick Bell and James Wilson of ‘Herd Health Consultancy’ in the UK, discussed mobility scoring and the basics of hoof examination. A lecturer in the Royal Veterinary College, Nick is Chief Auditor for the Cattle Hoofcare Standards Board, an instructor on the UK Level 4 course in professional foot trimming and a trainer for the AHDB Healthy Feet Programme.
Rounding off the practical offering was Ger Cusack, of Comeragh Veterinary in Waterford. Ger is a member of the Veterinary Council of Ireland and the Animal Health Ireland Lameness Technical Working Group. His presentation examined the causes of lameness, optimizing farm roadways and preventing the spread of infectious lameness.
In the on-farm practical session, Dr Nick Bell and James Wilson of ‘Herd Health Consultancy’ in the UK, discussed mobility scoring and the basics of hoof examination. A lecturer in the Royal Veterinary College, Nick is Chief Auditor for the Cattle Hoofcare Standards Board, an instructor on the UK Level 4 course in professional foot trimming and a trainer for the AHDB Healthy Feet Programme.
Rounding off the practical offering was Ger Cusack, of Comeragh Veterinary in Waterford. Ger is a member of the Veterinary Council of Ireland and the Animal Health Ireland Lameness Technical Working Group. His presentation examined the causes of lameness, optimizing farm roadways and preventing the spread of infectious lameness.
Ciarán Lenehan, Director of Sales & Marketing at Pharvet and Interchem outlined the reasoning for hosting the event.
“We as stakeholders need to align on hoof health, simple as that. It’s an area of extreme importance that doesn’t get the attention it warrants. There are plenty of external pressures on the industry now and a cow that’s happy, mobile and has good longevity will be key to overcoming all of these. Within the gate, a single case of lameness costs a farmer €200-€500 and there are typically nine lame animals in a 100-cow herd; that’s a fair hit to the bottom line.”
“The engagement here has been great and shows the appetite for Hoof Health events. It’s crucial that stakeholders continue to come together to discuss new ideas and maintain a focus on best practice. The goal is to make this an annual event,” he added.
In Pictures - Leaders in Lameness Descend on Moorepark
The importance of a proactive approach to hoof health was the key takeaway from the inaugural Hoof Health Symposium at Teagasc Moorepark last week.
The event was run by Irish animal health distributer Pharvet, in partnership with XLVets and Teagasc. Attended by various stakeholders including vets, farmers, hoof trimmers and academics, the star attraction was world-renowned New Zealand vet Neil Chesterton. Neil’s enthralling presentation focused on the cow’s point of view, optimization of her environment and farmer behaviour. Using video examples, Neil was able to demonstrate seemingly inconspicuous triggers to multiple large scale lameness problems he had encountered around the world.
The event was run by Irish animal health distributer Pharvet, in partnership with XLVets and Teagasc. Attended by various stakeholders including vets, farmers, hoof trimmers and academics, the star attraction was world-renowned New Zealand vet Neil Chesterton. Neil’s enthralling presentation focused on the cow’s point of view, optimization of her environment and farmer behaviour. Using video examples, Neil was able to demonstrate seemingly inconspicuous triggers to multiple large scale lameness problems he had encountered around the world.
Following up, Conor Geraghty of FarmGate Veterinary group in Galway described how their practice has embraced hoof health with the purchase of a hydraulic hoof trimming crush, while Teagasc researcher Dr. Natasha Browne presented Irish data from dairy herds, outlining trends in lameness and key risk areas.
In the on-farm practical session, Dr Nick Bell and James Wilson of ‘Herd Health Consultancy’ in the UK, discussed mobility scoring and the basics of hoof examination. A lecturer in the Royal Veterinary College, Nick is Chief Auditor for the Cattle Hoofcare Standards Board, an instructor on the UK Level 4 course in professional foot trimming and a trainer for the AHDB Healthy Feet Programme.
Rounding off the practical offering was Ger Cusack, of Comeragh Veterinary in Waterford. Ger is a member of the Veterinary Council of Ireland and the Animal Health Ireland Lameness Technical Working Group. His presentation examined the causes of lameness, optimizing farm roadways and preventing the spread of infectious lameness.
In the on-farm practical session, Dr Nick Bell and James Wilson of ‘Herd Health Consultancy’ in the UK, discussed mobility scoring and the basics of hoof examination. A lecturer in the Royal Veterinary College, Nick is Chief Auditor for the Cattle Hoofcare Standards Board, an instructor on the UK Level 4 course in professional foot trimming and a trainer for the AHDB Healthy Feet Programme.
Rounding off the practical offering was Ger Cusack, of Comeragh Veterinary in Waterford. Ger is a member of the Veterinary Council of Ireland and the Animal Health Ireland Lameness Technical Working Group. His presentation examined the causes of lameness, optimizing farm roadways and preventing the spread of infectious lameness.
Ciarán Lenehan, Director of Sales & Marketing at Pharvet and Interchem outlined the reasoning for hosting the event.
“We as stakeholders need to align on hoof health, simple as that. It’s an area of extreme importance that doesn’t get the attention it warrants. There are plenty of external pressures on the industry now and a cow that’s happy, mobile and has good longevity will be key to overcoming all of these. Within the gate, a single case of lameness costs a farmer €200-€500 and there are typically nine lame animals in a 100-cow herd; that’s a fair hit to the bottom line.”
“We as stakeholders need to align on hoof health, simple as that. It’s an area of extreme importance that doesn’t get the attention it warrants. There are plenty of external pressures on the industry now and a cow that’s happy, mobile and has good longevity will be key to overcoming all of these. Within the gate, a single case of lameness costs a farmer €200-€500 and there are typically nine lame animals in a 100-cow herd; that’s a fair hit to the bottom line.”
“The engagement here has been great and shows the appetite for Hoof Health events. It’s crucial that stakeholders continue to come together to discuss new ideas and maintain a focus on best practice. The goal is to make this an annual event,” he added.