Developing new ways for dealing with Down Cows

BARTA is part of a group working on a 2 year research project on dairy farms, this is being funded by Innovate UK. We are working with a number of Farms in Dorset, along with Resquip and Synergy Vets. The aim of the project is to look at better relocation techniques for down cows.

On every dairy farm, the occasional down cow may be unable to rise due to illness or injury. These cows may be stuck in awkward places on the farm such as cubicles, tight corners and milking parlours where a telehandler is not immediately accessible. It is imperative to move these cows quickly and safely to a suitable hospital pen for further assessment and treatment, to avoid secondary complications which hamper recovery.

In the absence of appropriate equipment or training, farm staff must rely on makeshift methods which can cause unnecessary injury and distress to the cow and themselves. Farmers participating in a previous study (Cow Recovery IUK-10082215), expressed a strong desire for further solutions to address such scenarios.

BARTA techniques guides and the workshops we have been involved in with the wider group look at the current UK standard techniques and ideas for potential new ones specific to the issues found on the dairy farms.

Resquip have supplied strops, strop guides, heavy duty limb crooks, glide sheets and improvised halters to look at potential techniques to simplify the moving of down cows. With the aim of creating a standard grab bag kit and guidance for farms.

Another part of the project is looking at developing a new lifting/medical suspension harness. We are working on this with BARTA and the Veterinary School at the University of Liverpool. We have both equine and livestock specialists helping with the design.