Foot Trimming

Lameness is a major issue that affects every farm to a greater or lesser extent. By making improvements to lameness levels it will help to improve cow health with the added benefits of increased production, decreased culling rates and profits for you. It covers many conditions: some are caused by infection, and some by physical and management factors. Understanding the types of lameness present, coupled with a structured approach to tackle the underlying causes, is required to tackle lameness effectively.

Chris Watts, Giles Turner & Phillip Bath together offer a unique, professional foot trimming service which is fully supported by veterinary advice and, if needed, practical assistance. Giles joined Delaware in 2009, and has been foot trimming since 1994 whilst working as a herdsman and has since acquired a Diploma in cattle foot trimming. Chris joined the Delaware farm animal team in 2012 and has been involved with dairy cattle since 1982 when he qualified with a HND in agriculture. Chris recently completed a four day professional Dutch foot trimming course under the tutelage of world lameness expert Pieter Kloosterman. Phillip Bath joined in 2018 and has extensive experience as a herdsman for many years.

If you feel this service would be beneficial to you, please feel free to contact us so we can arrange a package to meet your specific requirements. At the practice we offer the DairyCo Healthy Feet Programme. The programme aims to help dairy farmers reduce the number of lame cows on their farms by identifying and applying the right management techniques.

Giles, Chris & Phil are trained in mobility scoring and use the latest software to collect the data.

Delaware Vet Group run regular foot trimming courses for herdsmen and farm workers, covering the theory of the Dutch 5 step method, lesion recognition and treatment. The theory is then backed up with on farm practical sessions with our foot trimmers.