Now is the time of year to start thinking about track maintenance on your farm. Although only one possible cause of lame cows, tracks are an important part of the equation. Proper construction and regular maintenance of the track, especially the 300-500m closest to the dairy shed, are important in reducing lameness in dairy herds.
Races should be wide enough to allow good cow flow and free movement. Gateways should be the same width as the track and the track should widen as it reaches the cow shed.
|
Recommended race widths |
|
|
Herd size (cows) |
Race width (m) |
|
<120 |
5.0 |
|
120-250 |
5.5 |
|
250-350 |
6.0 |
|
350-450 |
6.5 |
|
>450 |
Varies with the split of the herd |
Design tracks to maximize cow flow. Avoid sharp angles and turns as this will cause bottlenecks leading to pushing, misplaced feet and lameness. Cow flow is also disrupted by wet, boggy areas. Ensure tracks are adequately drained. Small drains should be cut regularly along the grassy track edge to allow water to flow off. Fix pot-holes early and remove adjacent hedges, or keep them well trimmed to avoid shading of the track which stops it from drying out.
Choose appropriate materials for your track surfaces. Use fine, non-abrasive or easily crushable material for the surface of the track, rather than coarse gravel. Examples include: sand, pumice, limestone, sandstone or woodchips. Get expert advice from your area when surfacing tracks. The hardness of a particular stone varies from region to region and the climate can make some materials unsuitable. To check if a material is soft enough to use on the surface layer, grind a small rock into concrete with the heel of your gumboot - it should shatter easily.
Use a professional road/track construction contractor when laying down tracks. The shape, width, slope and drainage of these tracks will influence how much future lameness occurs and how often track repairs are required.
Pay particular attention to the area closest to the cowshed. Stones tracked onto the concrete cause sole punctures and bruising. The track material immediately before the concrete should be soft and easily crushable. A nib wall can be useful to minimize the amount of rock carried onto the yard and ensure yards are hosed regularly to prevent build-up of gravel. Cows often bunch up as they approach the cowshed. Make this area a priority for track maintenance.
Other things that may preserve the life of tracks and reduce lameness include: avoiding the use of farm machinery on cow tracks; minimizing the wetting of tracks by irrigators; and avoid using tracks and races as stand-off pads in wet weather.
Tracks on dairy farms get a lot of wear from hundreds or thousands of feet every day. Regular maintenance is a vital part of any lameness prevention plan.
Some of the information in this article has been extracted from the DairyNZ Healthy Hoof programme - contact Totally Vets for more information.
