"Healthy feet are absolutely critical for success in robot barns," said Jack Rodenburg from DairyLogix Consulting in Ontario, Canada. During his educational seminar at World Dairy Expo, he pointed to research that showed a drop in robot visits and a rise in the number of fetch cows when lameness was prevalent in a herd."Fetching cows" is a new labor demand for producers milking with robots. Fetch cows are cows that don't visit the robot for milking voluntarily. The number of fetch cows typically runs between 2 to 10 percent on robot farms, noted Rodenburg.
This number can escalate when the incidence of lameness rises. Thus, timely and effective treatment of lame cows is a necessity in robot herds.
"A robot farmer should understand basic hoof trimming," Rodenburg said. He went on to explain that timely treatment requires some kind of handling system, like headlocks or a working chute.
Footbaths are also part of the equation, but location must be considered carefully. A footbath at the robot exit discourages visits, and the number of passes is highly variable, Rodenburg noted. "That's not a very effective spot," he said.
A better option is to put footbaths in a remote crossover, Rodenburg said, and once a week make sure all cows walk through it. A footbath in that location will also be less disruptive and away from sensitive robot equipment and from milk entering the bulk tank.
Another key to hoof health is keeping alleys clean. Since cows never leave the barn, tractor scraping is not really an option. "Producers need to adapt to that," Rodenburg said. Slatted floors, alley scrapers and flush systems can be used to maintain clean, dry walkways. Comfortable stalls that are clean and dry are also critical for hoof health, he explained.
If cows do go lame, where can they recover in a robot barn? Rodenburg emphasized the need for a bedded pack with robot access for lame cows to mend.
"The goal is to have cows milked 3 times per day," Rodenburg said. Do your part to make sure every cow has four good feet to get them there.
The author is an associate editor and covers animal health, dairy housing and equipment, and nutrient management. She grew up on a dairy farm near Plymouth, Wis., and previously served as a University of Wisconsin agricultural extension agent. She received a master's degree from North Carolina State University and a bachelor's from University of Wisconsin-Madison.
