The first 45 per cent of the hoof taken off solves 90 per cent of the problems, hoof health consultant Karl Burgi said at the Large Herd Seminar this week.

“Assessing is key - only take away what you have to,” said Mr Burgi. “I have fewer issues now that I am not trimming feet perfectly.”

His message was that cows should be allowed to wear down small bits of uneveness on their own and that a 120 day trimming interval is good to stick to. 

But cows performing well should not be interfered with.

“We cause more problems by over-trimming,” warned Mr Burgi. “If you are getting good yields from a cow, then leave her alone.”

Professor Christer Bergsten of the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences said rubber mats benefit farms and are best used at feeding areas and in holding pens.

He added that a minimum depth of 25mm is best.

However, he admitted rubber mats in the wrong place can be costly to install and encourage lying.

Outlining solutions for this, Prof Bergsten said: “This is a problem but it can be avoided by targeting areas of the farm with rubber – feeding areas are ideal.

“If heifers are coming from straw bedding there is more chance of them lying in alleys.”

Take Time Over Staff Planning

Also at the Seminar was Dairy Coach and staff advisor Tom Wall. He urged the industry to consider staff dynamics, training routines and leadership structures at a time of expansion.

He said that, just like changing the parlour or constructing a new building, an increase in staff requires proper planning.

UK Teats Get Wider With Age: Why?

Older cows developing wider teats are doing so largely because UK teat liners are too wide, milking machinery expert Ian Ohnstad explained.

He prescribed narrow bore teat liners for UK and European farms that pull the teat downwards.

These are widely used in the US, he added.

Will People Rush Out for Monitoring Technologies?

Cow behaviour and feeding expert Professor Trevor De Vries said he would be cautious about investing in products that measure cow behaviour unless he knew there would be clear benefits.

However, he noted that mastitis, sub-acute rumen acidosis and metritis can be predicted from basic changes in behaviour such as lying time, rumination and feed intake.