Palmerson North, Manawatū-Whanganui
Improving Cow Flow And Reducing Lameness With Kura
Andrew Gillespie had wanted protection for his 650-strong dairy herd for some time and had been weighing up the options for rubber matting. Now, looking back, he said, “it’s one of those things you could regret not doing sooner.”
Recent advice from his vet had backed the move. “Quite simply, we were getting too many lame cows,” said Andrew. “All with the same foot where they were twisting on the concrete floor. The vet confirmed we should be looking at matting.”
In a position where he could make the investment, Andrew took the time with further research of the options. He was drawn to the quality of the source material for the Kura. The long-lasting nature of the matting was important as, “we needed it to stand the test of time.”
“It really has improved cow flow – they’re practically running across it.”
– Andrew Gillespie
He also decided to use the matting right up to the wall. “While it was probably more than we needed to get by, this approach has cut out the no-mans land and made the whole area more functional,” he said
While a dry winter has meant less overall lameness since the matting installation the result has been nonetheless impressive. “We now wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Numat to other farms,” said Andrew.
“It took the cows a day or two to get used to it – the noise was different and obviously the sensation was different too,” said Andrew. “But once that happened we are seeing that it really has improved cow flow – they’re practically running across it.”
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