While lameness is typically a problem dairy producers see in mature cows, there are a number of strategies and management practices that can be implemented in heifer pens to minimize and prevent lameness throughout a dairy cow’s life.
On Wed., Nov. 22, the second session of the PDPW World Class Webinar Series: Hooves are Made for Walking” will show dairy producers how to implement a strategy to achieve excellence in lameness management, enhance the dairy’s bottom line and ensure their farm has productive cows. Dr. Nigel Cook, chair of the Department of Medical Sciences and professor in Food Animal Production Medicine at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine, will present the session “Simplifying Hoof Health from Day One,” from noon to 1 p.m. CT, online.
Dr. Cook will outline a holistic approach that targets different lesions at different periods of a cow’s life cycle. Lameness prevention starts in the heifer pens to reduce the risk for heel warts and corkscrew claw deformity. He will review transition management strategies to reduce the risk for sole ulcers and better flooring designs and cow handling practices to reduce risk for white line lesions.
Registration is open for the Nov. 22 session by visiting www.pdpw.org or contacting PDPW at 1-800-947-7379. Participants who have registered can watch the sessions live or will receive a fully recorded version to watch at their leisure.
All past PDPW World Class Webinars, including the first session of this series, “Fundamentals of Good Hoof Health” presented by Karl Burgi, co-founder of Dairyland Hoof Care Institute and visiting lecturer at University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine, are available on the PDPW Webinar Library. To access the library of resources, visit: http://www.pdpw.org/programs_and_events.php#event_link_235 and click on the “Webinar Library” link.
Professional Dairy Producers (PDPW) is the nation's largest dairy producer-led organization of its kind, focusing on producer professionalism, stakeholder engagement and unified outreach to share ideas, solutions, resources and experiences that help dairy producers succeed."
