Tracking hoof health just got a bit easier thanks to a newly introduced product called Hoof Supervisor. The computer program that utilizes touchscreen technology allows hoof trimmers to enter hoof health data cowside. World Ag Expo officials thought so much of the software program that they selected it as one of the Top 10 New Products out of 70 entries at the show which began on Tuesday, February 9.
The Hoof Supervisor program hit the market last year. The program's hoof health coding system is based on the work of the International Lameness Committee. That committee developed international dairy language to properly code not only hoof health disease, but also the location of the foot problem.
Hoof Supervisor allows the trimmer to keep data on countless herds. In addition, data files are created on each cow in the herd so that hoof health can be tracked over time. At the end of the day, the hoof trimmer can print out reports detailing each trim along with any issues that need additional follow-up. There are 18 specific follow-up codes that can be entered for specific post-trim action by the farm team.
For those farms with herd management software programs, a comma-delimited computer file can be created that includes: cow identification, trim date, lesion information on a specific claw, and notes on specific actions like blocking or wrapping. If the herd manager or dairy producer wants to look back at previous trims, that is a possibility as well.
The software program retails for $1,600. The Hoof Supervisor team encourages hoof trimmers to purchase the rugged touchscreen tablet-style computer which already has the software built into it. The 10.4 inch screen is easy to maneuver, it can withstand temperatures ranging from -20 to 140 °F, it is extremely durable, and it can be sprayed clean with a water hose. All these features do come at a cost of $6,000.
