Dairy farmers can boost their reproduction success this mating season by prioritising hoof health and early lameness detection to keep cows in top condition and make the most of a promising forecast payout.
That’s the message Herd-i is taking to dairy farmers this month during its on-farm demo days in Southland.
With a positive payout forecast, Herd-i Area Sales Manager Bernard Anselmi says there’s an opportunity to get ahead of herd health and maximise reproductive performance this season.
DairyNZ’s The InCalf Book for New Zealand Dairy Farmers states that, “Lameness may stop [a dairy cow] from getting in calf because she stops eating and loses weight and won’t show a good heat.” This is often because lame cows experience more stress and have reduced mobility, making it harder for them to show signs of oestrus and successfully mate.
Bernard says Herd-i assists with early lameness detection which helps farmers stay on top of health issues, keeping cows productive and reducing costly setbacks.
“In a strong payout season, every healthy cow means more milk in the vat and more profit.
“For farmers looking to make the most of the payout, every empty cow is a missed opportunity. The key is to spot lameness early and take action before it hits fertility.
“Early detection means early treatment, which can significantly reduce the long-term impacts of lameness on both reproductive performance and milk production.”
Herd-i is a leader in AI-powered technology that helps improve herd health and performance. Herd-i Locomotion uses an EID reader to identify each cow as she exits the shed. A small camera then tracks her movement, streaming the video to a cloud-based server where machine learning analyses her gait and assigns a lameness score based on DairyNZ’s industry-standard scale. Results are displayed on a straightforward dashboard, allowing farmers to set alerts, track trends, and act quickly.
A 2023 DairyNZ study found, on average, farmers only identified 27% of lame animals in their herd. This highlights the need for technology like Herd-i to identify lame cows.
Herd-i is encouraging farmers to work closely with their vets to build a robust lameness management plan and respond to any issues quickly. A proactive plan that includes regular monitoring and early treatment will not only help maintain herd productivity but also reduce treatment costs in the long run.
“While preventative measures like good nutrition and maintaining races and yards are essential, having an effective early detection system in place is the best way to stay on top of lameness,” says Bernard.
“Traditional methods like hoof checks and visual observation are useful, but it’s easy to miss subtle signs, especially when you’re busy or short-staffed.”
“By using advanced technology like Herd-i, farmers can easily and accurately identify lameness early and treat it long before it affects fertility and production.”
To show how Herd-i’s system works on-farm, the Herd-i team will be hosting two free demo days in Southland on 29th and 30th October. See firsthand how Herd-i’s technology is helping to reduce the impact of lameness and improve herd reproductive performance.
For more information and to register for one of the demo days, click here.
