Your own, well organised cattle care station
Only healthy hooves will give you the yield you want.
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Regular hoof care - WHY?
A well-organised care station and regular hoof care not only increase animal welfare and the health of your cows, but above all your economic efficiency!
What does a lame cow cost?
The average lameness rate in Central Europe is 30 - 35%. Taking into account all the costs involved (treatment costs, reduced milk yield, etc.), this results in a loss of around € 450 per lame cow per year.
Total costs due to lameness:
• For 50 cows per year: € 7,500
• For 100 cows per year: € 15,000
• For 500 cows per year: € 75,000
Regular herd trimming:
This serves as a preventive measure to avoid malformations and diseases of the hooves. The cows are kept in a fit condition by regular and expert hoof care to minimise costly lameness in advance.
Acute treatments:
Rapid intervention in acute lameness can often solve expensive and complicated cases immediately and with little effort.
What do I need to be able to react quickly?
1) The right tools!
A Rosensteiner hoof trimming crush including treatment tools
2) Well thought-out processes!
A separate care station in the barn - whether in an old building or a new building
A large portion of lameness cases can be intercepted or avoided by immediate intervention!
• Regular, daily checks
• A quick look at hooves during milking
• Locomotion scoring when walking through the barn
02
What are the advantages of having my own care station?
- Immediate reaction and treatment of the affected animals
- The workplace is always ready for use
- Tools are close at hand
- Short set-up time, quick reaction
- Clever planning of your own care station makes ideal use of the paths for the animals (time saving!) and reduces their stress levels (familiar surroundings, view of the herd)
- Well-rehearsed and comfortable working during regular herd trimming
- MASSIVE SAVINGS IN TIME AND MONEY!
03
What must be considered when designing the care station?
03.1 Do I have a suitable place in my stable?
New-builds:
When building a new barn, the care station should be considered and integrated during the planning stage.
Existing building:
Here it is necessary to determine whether there is a suitable area in the barn for the care station or whether this must be created first. For example with a break-through or a box relocation.
A suitable place can always be found!
How much space do I need for my Rosensteiner hoof timming crush?
For both systems you need an average of 12m2 to be able to work comfortably.
With walk-through crushes, you need enough space around the device to have good access to all 4 legs.
The tipping crush can also be placed in an alcove or corner, as work is only carried out on one side with this device. The room height of the stable should be 2.6m so that the stand can be tilted without any problems.
03.2 What is the best way to drive cattle in and out of the care station?
EASY TO DRIVE IN AND OUT BY MEANS OF A DRIVEWAY
The cows must be able to get into the hoof trimming crush and back to the herd again as easily as possible, without stress and via familiar routes. A narrow driveway ensures this.
In doing so, the following should be taken into account:
- Avoid angled driveways
- Driving in should be done with a view towards the herd
- The driveway should run as fluidly as possible in order to make the best use of the animals' escape behaviour. This makes the driving out easier.
It is best if the driveway is mounted in front of the care station or can be set up in a few easy steps.
IDEAL WAITING
A waiting area, where the animals to be treated can be accommodated before the actual hoof care, ensures even faster and smoother hoof care.
Proposal for the dimensions of the waiting area:
| Treatment cycle | Space required | Example 50 / 100 cows |
| Weekly | 5% of cattle stock | 3 / 5 |
| 2-weekly | 10% of cattle stock | 5 / 10 |
| Monthly | 20% of cattle stock | 10 / 20 |
| Six-monthly | 100% of cattle stock | 50 / 100 |
03.3 How must the care station be designed?
a. Is there an electrical power connection available?
Tip: Avoid cables on the ground!
b. Is there a water connection available?
A nearby water connection is recommended for cleaning the hooves before treatment, as well as the floor and the appliance after hoof treatment.
c. Do I have adequate lighting?
The lighting fixtures and the installation of these should be selected so that the entire care area is well lit. We recommend an LED light mounted on the wall or ceiling in such a way that you do not cast a shadow on the hoof trimming area and such there is always a good view of the hooves.
d. What is the condition of the floor?
Access to the care station should allow straight entry and exit with no steps. Non-slip, easy-to-clean floor surfaces with water drainage ensures secure footing for the animals.
e. Is my tool to hand?
Well cared for and sharpened tools should be to hand during hoof care. A small tool cupboard is recommended for storage after hoof treatment. This should also have room for bandages, blocks and care products.
04
Examples of ideal care stations
| Operation: | Schmidt |
| Family: | Edlmayr |
| Location: | Steinbach an der Steyr, Upper Austria, Austria |
| Size of operation: | 55 Fleckvieh cows |
| Hoof trimming crush: | Kipp Top II |
| Description: |
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| Special features: | Thanks to the selection at the milking robot, the animals to be treated can be easily selected, e.g. the evening before, and thus quickly treated without additional effort. This saves a lot of time and the animals are ready for treatment the next day without any extra intervention. |
| Operation: | Advanced Cow Farms Co. |
| Location: | Azzarka, Jordan |
| Size of operation: | 1.500 cows |
| Hoof trimming crush: | Kipp Top II Professional |
| Initial situation: |
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| Description: |
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| Special features: |
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Contact form for advice on care stations
You would like to integrate a care station in your barn and need support?
Please fill in the form so that we can provide you with the best possible advice!