| 91 nzdairy Lameness prevention starts with hoof care Lameness is a significant issue in the New Zealand dairy sector that impacts on cow welfare and farm profitability but with good hoof care farmers can mitigate this costly problem in their herds. VeeHof Dairy Services has long supported the dairy sector with lameness treatment and prevention services and is keen to keep lifting the bar on safe hoof care. Ashburton-based, VeeHof Dairy Services was founded in the mid-1990s by Fred Hoekstra, who is passionate about lameness and related issues. He leads a highly trained team providing professional hoof trimming throughout the South Island and supplying hoof care services and products nationwide. A qualified hoof trimming instructor who trained in Europe, Fred holds a diploma in hoof care in line with the Dutch method that is used internationally to help prevent and cure lameness in dairy cows. He explains that hoof problems often start with weight being borne unevenly between the two claws on each foot. If live tissue inside the hoof is also unhealthy, it opens the door to lameness problems. “My advice to farmers is to pick 15-20% of their worst cows from a conformation perspective and ensure those cows are properly trimmed twice a year. When hoof conformation is not good, it doesn’t mean the cows will be lame but if the live tissue inside the hoof is unhealthy and the cows have poor conformation then those cows will be under more pressure than those with good conformation.” VeeHof Dairy Services has three qualified hoof trimmers available for smaller jobs through to larger requirements (up to 250+ cows per day). In the South Island, the area covered includes Canterbury, Otago, Southland and the West Coast. All equipment is cleaned and disinfected before farm visits, in line with strict biosecurity procedures. Recognising that education has a critical part to play in lifting cattle hoof care, Fred also delivers hoof trimming courses and workshops through the Dairy Hoof Care Institute of New Zealand. This is run as a separate initiative, with some 15 to 20 weeks of training provided across New Zealand every year. “Unfortunately, too many people still look at Kim Newth VeeHof Dairy Services has three qualified hoof trimmers available for smaller jobs through to larger requirements (up to 250+ cows per day). DAIRY SERVICES » VeeHof Dairy Services lameness as a simple job, almost like peeling a potato. Of course, it’s much more complicated than that. Quite a few cows end up being sent to the works - not because they are lame but because of [poor] trimming. PHOTO G R A P H Y CORPORATE STORY TELLING PERSONAL BRANDING Let’s chat about creating a fresh collection of marketing photographs for your business. Book a complimentary 20min discovery call today. JOANNEMCCLOY.CO.NZ @JOANNEMCCLOYPHOTOGRAPHY Hoof-Tite two-part block adhesive cartridges are available in both Original formula and Winter formula, to have your hoof blocking needs covered no matter the weather! www.HoofTite.com The Next Generation of Blocking Adhesive #1 Hoof Adhesive world-wide · Proudly distributed by Veehof To become good at hoof trimming you need to do a five-day course and some follow up work as well.” The Dutch 5-Step method used by VeeHof Dairy Services – and taught by the Dairy Hoof Care Institute of New Zealand - is an effective hoof trimming method. “If you go anywhere in the world, you find this method is by far the most respected way of trimming claws. It’s available to every cow and it’s teachable.” VeeHof Dairy imports and supplies quality hoof care equipment, including the tried and tested WOPA claw treatment crush and various hoof trimming accessories. This is a business with a big heart. For the past two years, VeeHof has run a Happy Feet Fundraiser to help provide school shoes for local children whose families may be struggling financially. This year, they raised enough money to provide 65 pairs of shoes.
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