Minimising the incidence of lameness in dairy cows was identified by farmers participating in the Resilience for Dairy project as an important contributor to the resilience of their dairy enterprise. Lameness is a painful disease that impacts a cows ability to move normally and is a major problem within the dairy sector worldwide.

A recent study conducted by Teagasc, the Irish research and advisory organisation, shows that at any given time, one in ten Irish dairy cows is lame. The worst performing 20% of dairy farms in the study had a lameness prevalence of 15-32%.

Stuart will interview Paul Maher, a postgraduate student at Teagasc Moorepark. Paul’s area of study focuses on the design and evaluation of cow roadways in Ireland. In grazing herds, the quality of the roadways is the single most important factor that farmers need to correct. Paul’s analysis to date has indicated that over 40% of Irish roadways are sub-optimal. Paul will discuss practical steps that farmers can take to improve the quality of their farm roadway network for their dairy herds.