Farmers should be looking at the current ground conditions as an opportunity to revamp roadways to prevent lameness this autumn and into next season.

There is still a good three months of grazing remaining for drier farms and maybe a bit less for heavier soil type farms, if conditions hold up and covers are managed correctly.

So, farmers will be focused on keeping grass in the diet as much as possible by extending the grazing while trying to build farm covers for next year.

However, with the current decent ground conditions, the ground is still very dry, which may give farmers the opportunity to get started on building a new farm roadway, or even work on maintaining the existing roadways.

A well-designed farm roadway will reduce lameness, accommodate faster and easier stock movement, reduce roadway maintenance, and provide farmers with more efficient paddock access.

It will also reduce mastitis cases, as the cows will be cleaner, and in turn will produce milk with lower sediment and lower thermoduric levels.

Ground conditions and weather may turn as we get deeper into the autumn months, so it might be no harm to get started on roadway renovations now.

It can be continued over the next couple of weeks or months as long as it is not disrupting cow flow and access to paddocks.

One way of keeping cows at grass and allowing for flexibility is having a good layout for farm roadways in place.

Revamping a few bad corners or a certain passage could be the difference in keeping cows out afew days longer at the end of the year.

Most farms already have roadways in place, but extensions to these could significantly improve grazing during challenging weather conditions, which is not uncommon in the shoulders of the year.

Cow flow is largely dictated by the width of the roadway.

To prevent lameness in a herd with 150 cows or fewer, a roadway width of 4.5m is adequate, with an additional 0.5m for every extra 100 cows advised.

An extra 1m of width for the roadway near the yard should be considered, as it will be the most congested area, so the fence should be positioned 0.5m from the edge of the roadway.

It is best to remove a 10-15cm layer of topsoil, as 80% of the cost of roadways is on material and you want your final road surface to be above the field level.

Farmers must ensure that the roadway is higher than the field so water can escape. If there is a grass verge at the sides holding water, the farmer should dig a channel every 5-10m.

Roadway design and maintenance should be as follows:

A width of 4m for 100 cows and another 0.5m for every 50 cows after;
A camber of 5%, 10cm in 2cm;
Electric fence should be 0.5m from sides;
Wide turns and drainage;
A fine blind of at least 25mm.

The greatest pressure on cows' feet is caused from the cows turning, meaning that farmers must ensure the turning points are wide to allow the cows to turn gradually.

Rubber mats or a strip of astro-turf in high traffic areas or pinch point areas which is typically just before the gathering yard or the main area before dispersing for paddocks should be considered to prevent lameness.

Astro-turf in particular will brush off any stones in the hoof before stepping on concrete and will take pressure of the sole as cows angle around a corner.

Having a well-designed roadway can make all the difference for the spring time, as cows can access paddocks from different access points and keep grass in their diet in challenging, wet conditions.

Having adequate roadways with plenty of different access points will also save a lot of labour in the back-end and the spring, as the likes of spur roadways, back fences and excessive amounts of strip-fencing will not be needed.

This will help with getting cows out to grass and prevent them from damaging the ground, as well as ensuring a maximum graze out, aiding in a quicker grass growth response and grass intake for the herd.

When farmers are making these investments in roadways, they need to determine where the best return of investment will be on the farm as extensions should be made in areas where the most paddocks can be accessed or where it is required most.

When the weather is still good and ground conditions are still dry, it is best practice to get a start on the roadways that need attention.

The return of investment will be seen this autumn back-end and the following spring in terms of lameness prevention, health, and production.