New videos aim to help farmers tackle lameness in cows
A new series of short Animal Health Ireland (AHI) videos on dairy cow lameness, now available online, have been launched by Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM), Noel Grealish.
The SCIP project (Sound Cow Innovation Programme) was also launched, which is an (European Innovation Partnership) EIP-funded initiative involving: AHI; Teagasc; University College Dublin (UCD); DAFM; Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF); Irish Cattle Foot Trimmers' Association (ICFTA); Tirlán; veterinary input; and Farm Relief Service.
It aims to pilot a lameness control programme on Irish dairy farms.
Speaking at the launch at Moorepark, Co. Cork this week, Teagasc researcher and chair of the AHI Hoof HealthCheck Technical Working Group, Dr. Muireann Conneely said: “Lameness is one of the most pressing health and welfare challenges facing Irish dairy farms.
"Recent Teagasc research found that approximately one in 10 Irish dairy cows is lame at any one time, with levels rising to over 30% in some herds.
"The top 20% of Irish herds maintain lameness prevalence below 5%.”
Hoof HealthCheck programme manager at AHI, Michelle McGrath added: “For the average 100-cow dairy herd with 10% lameness, the cost of lameness is approximately €8,750 per annum.
"The SCIP programme is key in highlighting a preventative approach to lameness in dairy herds, while complementing how farmers are successfully approaching lameness.
"The programme will be a first step to having a lameness control plan for all farms in Ireland.”
The first in the series of videos on dairy cow lameness explores why the condition matters, not just for animal welfare, but also for farm productivity, sustainability and public trust.
The videos can be viewed on AHI's YouTube channel while Teagasc will also publish an article to accompany each video, as part of a five-part series aimed at helping farmers tackle lameness through practical, evidence-based solutions.
