High Yielding Returns: Investing in Comfort and Lameness Prevention

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Yielded a Return

The significance of lameness costs is often underestimated compared to the relatively small expense of prevention. The intent to save $1,000 frequently hinders the potential to generate $10,000 or more. I have witnessed numerous instances where investing more into hoof health yielded a return within a month that exceeded the annual cost or initial inputs. This is why hoof health should be seen as an investment rather than an expense.

To make it relatable to all, let's compare saving money by not doing maintenance hoof trimming to saving money by not doing maintenance oil changes on our vehicles or tractors. Most of us can understand how costly the lack of maintenance can be to our vehicles or equipment. The risk is not worth it! But what if changing your oil not only prevented problems but also provided residual financial yields? Would you change it more often? If preventive hoof trimming not only prevents lameness and related expenses but also improves productivity and overall profitability, it becomes a wise investment.

Profitability Per Cow

There are many estimates of the cost of lameness, but we can never truly put a number on it. Some often-overlooked factors include:

- The ability to sell versus buy replacements.

- The impact of culling lesser animals has on the herd's genetics.

- The cash crop value of selling milking cows versus cull cows.

- The long-term negative impact of buying low-end animals for replacements.

These factors can result in massive losses.

Essentially, my point is that you can maintain a suitable stocking density for your herd by reducing the number of animals leaving due to lameness. This, in turn, provides an opportunity to sell animals of lower quality. By taking advantage of this opportunity, you can continuously improve your herd genetics and reduce the continuation of unfavorable genetic traits. Ultimately leading to an increased profitability per cow.

Long-Term Payback

When considering the comparison between upfront costs and long-term payback, similar to investing in seed for crops, the initial expenses associated with hoof care often overshadow the return. By prioritizing hoof health, we can reduce lameness, improve animal welfare, enhance productivity, save on medical costs, and promote the longevity of our animals. It is a wise decision that can yield substantial returns over time. However, hoof health is more than just hoof trimming. Before we invest, we need to identify the areas that we can improve in that generate the highest returns. Some of the areas that I frequently see that could use attention are:

Training - Training plays a crucial role in ensuring that workers have the necessary knowledge and understanding to effectively detect and address lameness in animals. A lack of knowledge should not be mistaken for a lack of care towards the animals or the job.

Aaron LaVoy of Midwestern Hoof Trimming School In-House Training in Egypt

1.         Early detection and understanding of the importance of slight signs of lameness: Too often workers get used to seeing cows with slightly abnormal gait and over time it becomes normalized. Workers should be trained to recognize the early signs of lameness in animals. This includes observing changes in gait, uneven weight distribution, reluctance to move, or any other abnormal behaviors. Understanding the significance of these slight signs is essential because early detection allows for timely intervention and treatment, which can prevent the condition from worsening.

2.         Triage care and performing proper in-house lesion care: Workers should be trained in the proper techniques for in-house lesion care, ensuring that they can provide immediate support to the animal without causing further damage.

By investing in training programs, employers can equip their workers with the necessary knowledge and skills to detect lameness early and provide appropriate triage care. As Benjamin Franklin wisely said, "An investment in knowledge pays the best interest." Well-trained workers will not only improve animal welfare but also contribute to the overall success of the operation.

Enhancing Cow Comfort - Whether it pertains to cow stalls, bedding, or flooring, there are multiple investment opportunities that can significantly improve cow comfort. By properly maintaining and grooming the stalls, the lying times of the cows can be positively influenced, resulting in an increase in hoof health. Additionally, implementing floor grooving or incorporating rubber surfaces in high-traffic areas, such as long walkways and holding areas, can greatly improve comfort while simultaneously minimizing the risk of weight-bearing trauma to the hooves. Investments in cow comfort can generate high-yielding returns.

Foot Bath – This is one of the last places a dairy should ever look to save money as it is one of the safest investments with the highest yields on the farm. Unfortunately, the unnecessary acceptance of Digital Dermatitis as a common occurrence has become a widespread problem, resulting in significant financial losses for the industry. Digital dermatitis, although an expensive problem, can be effectively managed and controlled. However, it continues to burden dairymen financially. This is primarily due to the oversight of long-term benefits, often overshadowed by the focus on initial investments.

Saving or Investing?

In summary, the mindset of saving money vs investing money has become as much of an issue as the normalization and acceptance of slight lameness. However, with proper planning and a long-term perspective, perceiving expenditures aimed at increasing knowledge, health, and comfort as investments that yield returns rather than mere expenses we can enhance the profitability, welfare, and overall genetic quality of the dairy industry.

Thank you for reading!

Best, Aaron LaVoy

Owner Midwestern Hoof Care/ Midwestern Hoof Trimming School

Social Media "The Midwestern Hoof Trimmer"