A female farmers perspective on managing lameness with Herd-i
Liz Muller, CEO of Herd-i, sits down with Dr Mara Elton Fletcher — female farmer (co-equity partner Darnley Dairy in North Canterbury) and vet— to gain a female perspective on the challenges and benefits of managing lameness in a 900-head herd.
When asked why managing lameness is important to her, Mara doesn’t hesitate. “It’s one of the most common ailments you’ll find on a dairy farm in New Zealand. It’s costly for us and for the whole dairy industry, it impacts the productivity of the animal and of course it is an animal wellbeing issue,” she explains.
From Challenge to Maintenance
Lameness has been difficult for Darnley to manage in the past. But as Mara describes, “With good systems, training of staff, and a thorough understanding of what lameness is, it went from a problem on farm to something we just now need to maintain. Since Herd-i has been implemented, it’s turned the whole approach to lameness around from being reactive to being proactive.”
Herd-i: Early Detection That Makes the Difference
“The top benefit of Herd-i is that it detects lameness much earlier than the human eye,” says Mara. “Identifying lameness isn’t solving the problem, but Herd-i definitely helps turn the dial, allowing lameness issues to be treated early so recovery is faster. It is also much more cost effective to treat early”.
A Woman’s Perspective
Reflecting on the role of female farmers, Mara shares: “There’s definitely a greater sense, as a woman, of identifying when someone (or an animal) is hurt or injured. Women tend to empathise with that more than many men in an anthromorphic fashion”.
Final Word: Know Your Number
Mara challenges the Dairy Women’s Network delegates with one powerful question:
“Do you know how many lame cows you have in your herd right now? Not just the ones being treated, but the ones still out there? Knowing that number is the first step toward better prevention.”
Herd-i provides technology for early identification of lameness and automated body condition scoring. If you would like to know more, contact Liz Muller.
Liz Muller
Chief Executive Officer, Herd-i,
liz.Muller@herd-i.com