Receiving a pedicure every three weeks may sound like a luxury. However, for the herd of George Kuyler, a dairy farmer on the Skimmelkrans farm near George, these special hoof treatments are a necessary precaution against unusually wet conditions.
By Michelle van der Spuy, senior journalist at African Farming and Landbouweekblad
Kuyler explains the farm about 150 mm of rain early in June. This followed 180 mm of rain that fell two-and-a-half weeks earlier. As a result, conditions were extremely wet and, with the Gwaing River in flood and flowing through the farm, almost half of the grazing area was inaccessible to the cows.
“With the constant wetness, the hooves soften quickly and the farm roads become a problem because any pebble can become lodged in them.”
Therefore his biggest priority was ensuring the cows’ hooves remain in good condition. To achieve this, they regularly undergo formalin and zinc footbaths to help keep their hooves hard.
Prevention rather than treatment
The hoof trimmer usually visited the farm every six weeks to give the cows their “pedis”, but visits now take place every three weeks to ensure they do not develop hoof infections.
“Now we just have to look after the girls’ feet,” Kuyler jokes.
However, the more frequent visits do increase the cost of hoof maintenance. “A regular visit from the hoof trimmer probably costs between R30 000 and R40 000. But it is preventative and still much cheaper than production losses and a cow whose milk yield declines.”
Also read:
Profit starts with grass: Practical lessons for building a profitable cow herd – Part 1
The cattle farmer’s manual | Supplementation is an investment, not an expense
Ask the vet | Dehorning – what cattle farmers should know
