Articles & Info

Wrangler & Ride Over

Thu, 04 Aug 2011 15:19:00 +1200

Imagine a farm where ATV bikes can travel through gates but stock cannot. No getting off the quad to unlatch and open gates, drive through, get off, close and relatch the gate at every paddock. What a wonderful world that would be. Every great New Zealand invention begins with the thought “There must be an easier way”. When such a thought goes through serial inventor Phillip MacDonald’s head you can be assured the way will be found.

Simply called the Ride Over Gate, or more affectionately ROG, Phillip’s gate has been faithfully allowing farm quads through whilst keeping stock fenced for the last 20 years. As with all great inventions its magic is its simplicity. A simple nudge with the quad will push the gate allowing it to be driven over. Once pushed down the gate is like a cattle stop allowing vehicles and people to cross over but impossible for animals to step over. Calfeteria, irrigators, and calf trailers can also be towed across the gate speeding up essential farm travel.

Wilco Klein Ovink from The Wrangler Ltd was most impressed with Phillip’s ROG. He wasn’t the only one. Judges at NZ Agricultural Fieldays this year awarded it the prestigious JAWS Innovation Award, and his hands-on demonstration attracted flocks of farmers.

Quietly spoken Phillip has seen it all before. He has lost count of the number of inventions that have come out of his Edgecumbe shed. He is happiest tinkering in his workshop and is pleased to team up with another innovative company – The Wrangler , who will manufacture and market the Ride Over Gate. That is good news too for farmers, lifestylers, and all of us who would prefer to travel the farm without leaving the Quad Bike seat.

Young Farmers put their best foot forward

Thu, 21 Jul 2011 15:53:00 +1200

Contestants in the 2011 Young Farmer Contest Grand Final were tested on their stock handling and hoofcare abilities during the AgriSkills round of the competition in Masterton earlier this month.

The seven finalists were scored on their ability to correctly load and secure a cow into a Wrangler and then check the condition of her hoof. This is a vital job on dairy farms as cows walking to the shed each day are prone to getting lame. Lame cows then costs the farm in lost production, treatment expenses, and associated costs like reduced cow fertility.

NZ designed and manufactured, the Wrangler crush enables cows to be held safely so the farmer can work on the hoof without fear of being kicked. Judges were watching carefully to ensure contestants loading the cow used the girths under the cow to prevent her falling and breaking a hip while the hoof was raised. They then needed to winch the backleg onto the supporting bar and the front hoof onto a supporting block and check the condition of the hoof.

Other tasks the finalists had to complete included measuring the eye muscle mass of 10 stud rams, manufacturing a steel gate, identifying meat cuts, calibrating a seed drill, and constructing a Taranaki gate. The Wrangler had been used previously in Young Farmer district finals but never before at the Grand Final.

The AgriSkills winner, Mike Croad representing East Coast, took away $14,000 worth of Ravensdown products with Will Grayling taking out the top prize of National Bank Young Farmer Contest Champion for 2011.

Government considering introducing 'No Claims Discounts' to ACC premiums.

Wed, 22 Sep 2010 13:41:00 +1200

With the recent announcement by ACC of the proposed ‘no claims discount’ there is more reason than ever to ensure staff have safe facilities. Under the proposed pricing framework customers with proven good health and safety and claims management behavior could be rewarded with a discount on their levies, and those with poor claims histories could receive a levy increase. The changes are intended to provide financial incentives for businesses to invest in methods of injury prevention for example better stock handling facilities.

According to ACC, the three leading causes of farm injuries in 2009 were poor handling of animals, quad bikes, and farm machinery. There were 1,700 farm workers injured by cattle last year (that’s a staggering 1 every 34 minutes), costing ACC $6million.

Waverley Klein Ovink from The Wrangler Ltd welcomed the move. “It is good to see ACC rewarding good farmers for providing safe facilities for their staff. We used to see a lot of injuries from people treating lame cows - knife wounds, broken bones, and even brain injuries”, explained Waverley. “Thankfully the culture of farming has changed and now safe facilities are seen as vital”.

The Wrangler is a cattle crush designed to make the handling of dairy animals safe. Its key concept is the use of belly girths to hold the cow and stop her falling during treatment as well as braces and winches to hold the cow’s legs during hoof examination and trimming. Since its release in 1995 the New Zealand designed crush has received numerous awards and is now considered as essential equipment in every dairy shed.

The proposed ‘experience rating’ will be calculated by comparing each customer to the average in their industry group. This means farmers preventing injuries by using cattle handling equipment such as a Wrangler to prevent injuries could be financially better off under the new system than those who don’t.

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Handlers Essential for Dairy Cows

Thu, 22 Jul 2010 03:03:00 +1200

Things are changing down on the farm.

Irrigators are now commonplace, silage individually wrapped, and feed pads, although once thought unnecessary, are appearing on all the best farms. Now it is the turn of lamecow handler.

“Lamecow handlers are standard farm equipment in America, Europe, and the United Kingdom. Every farm either owns one or brings in a contractor with one. Yet until recently Kiwi farmers knew no different than leg roping” said Wilco Klein Ovink. Mr Klein Ovink was a New Zealand pioneer in this field. Eight years ago he saw the need for a safe and easy way to treat hooves. Finding nothing available he released The Wrangler, a lamecow handler of his own patented design. Cow Handlers are a crush which restrains the cow and her leg leaving the farmer safe to examine the hoof.

“Over the last few years I have noticed a marked change in the attitude of dairy farmers to lameness” he said. “Farmers are more aware of the cost of lameness in the herd and are doing something about it sooner. They are now more inclined to look at the hoof themselves before calling in the vet.

Hoof problems are on the rise. Farm sizes are increasing and more supplement are being used. Mr Klein Ovink said it is common for farms to have 20 cows in the lamecow mob. This becomes expensive with the cow producing less, money and time required for treatment, and milk lost during withholding periods. There is also the cost of injury to staff or cow caused by poor safety practices - the danger to staff should a blow from a cows leg connect with them and also the danger to the cow breaking her hip by going down while leg roped. Often it must be a quick examination with the help of a second person.

Good facilities can reduced these problems. “If you have good facilities you are more likely to check a troublesome hoof before it gets serious,” explained Wilco. “OSH has also changed the way we do things. Many farmers identify the hazards associated with leg roping and find this equipment essential in preventing injuries to staff. Also with the crush restraining the animal the second person is free to get on with other farm tasks.”

The sheep industry has seen a similar trend with their sheep handlers. What was once thought a fad is now mainstream with sheep farmers eager to make many of the routine stock tasks easier.

Cow handlers too have many uses. They are purpose built for dairy cows rather than beef cattle so are lighter and provide more access to the cow for examinations like caesarian operations. Another set of facilities at calving time is useful and being mobile the farmer can choose to calve his cows where ever best suits - at the back of the farm, next to the house, or in the wintering shed. Other farms are installing fixed models at the end of the shed exit race to draft lamecows out for treatment. “One thing everyone agrees on” laughed Wilco, “is once you are accustomed to using one you will never go back to leg roping!”

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Poor feeding can cause lameness

Fri, 16 Jul 2010 04:07:00 +1200

A study of foot lameness in Taranaki showed 65% of lameness in cows is caused by walking to the milking shed and another 10% by individual cow variation. This leaves around 25% of variance unexplained, for which nutritional factors may be responsible.

Poor nutrition, in particular sub-clinical acidosis leading to laminitis, results in a weakening of the hoof, making it more susceptible to injury.

Looking after the rumen

Feed eaten by the cow has to be digested by “bugs” or microbes in the rumen. The microbes ferment forages and most other feeds, producing proprionic and acetic acids, which are absorbed through the rumen wall.

Plant protein is incorporated into microbial protein and the microbes then pass into the cow’s intestine to be digested. Keeping the rumen fermenting well is like making wine. The fermentation has to occur in a balanced an controlled way, otherwise it will result in incomplete fermentation and/or toxins being produced.

Therefore, care is needed in feeding the rumen microbes, so the fermentation process is enhanced rather than being upset.

What is laminitis?

Laminitis is inflammation of the soft tissue under the sole and wall of the hoof claw.

This inflammation damages the joint between the hoof and the tissue underneath an weakens the claw, making it more susceptible to injury. Laminitis occurs when toxins are released into the blood stream, commonly as a result of acidosis, which occurs when the pH of the rumen becomes acidic (below pH6).

This is usually associated with excessive levels of readily-fermentable carbohydrate (sugars and starch), which the microbes in the rumen are not able to convert into organic acids an lactic acid fermentation results.

This may occur when cows are fed readily-fermentable carbohydrate, such as grain, kiwifruit and other high carbohydrate feeds, specially if these are introduced rapidly without giving time for the rumen microbes to adapt.

Silages contain significant levels of lactic acid and can contribute to rumen acidity.

It appears from some measurements taken from cows on pasture diets that their rumen pH is dropping below 6 at times, particularly when they are on lush, improved pastures. The source is the weak organic acids, such as proprionic, butyric and acetic acid.

The secretion of bicarbonate in saliva normally controls acidity in the rumen.

When the cow swallows, she takes bicarbonate into the rumen to buffer the pH that is to neutralise the acid.

Normally, a cow secretes 150-250ml of saliva a minute and to do this she needs to chew for 9-10 hours daily. If we increase the amount of chewing she does, particularly chewing of her cud, she will produce more saliva and therefore secrete more bicarbonate into the rumen to counteract the acidity.

Chewing is stimulated by fibre, or what we call effective fibre. That is, food particles more than 1.7cm long. When the pasture is lush, there will be insufficient effective fibre to stimulate the required amount of chewing. This can happen on spring and autumn pastures.

The best counter measure is to introduce a small amount of fibre, ideally straw, but hay may be the best option available. Adding a buffer will help. Sodium bicarbonate is often used, but its activity is very short, so magnesium oxide, which lasts longer, may be more effective.

Trends in Trimming

Fri, 16 Jul 2010 04:05:00 +1200

Cattle foot trimming in Europe is a craft, and an important one. Freelance professional trimmers carry kits filled with an array of tools from a simple knife, to magnetic temperature gauges, and power tools. Their clientele? An average of 25 - 80 cows per day. These Bovine Chiropodists visit each herd four times a year to trim overgrown hooves and treat any problems.

Hooves are trimmed to promote good hoof shape, with an emphasis on prevention rather than cure. Trimming has traditionally been done by hand. Now in the U.K, the electric rotary rasp is considered a better tool for hoof trimming. It is considered quicker, and easier with an excellent finish but difficult to master.

European (and American) farmers use specialised cattle crushes. There are many models available, some with hydraulic winches, some manual. There are even some available which turn the cow over! All have wide spaced bars to allow greater access to the cow. While the cow is held in the head bail each hoof can in turn be winched up for examination. Often hoof crushes are owned as standard farm equipment with the farmer treating his own cows, while other farmers opt to have an itinerant trimmer bring in their own.

Perhaps we can learn something from our counterparts in the U.K. New Zealand too has a high incidence of lameness. We have large herd walking great distances, often being treated in poor facilities. It becomes the job of the worker and vet to battle the cow, and leg rope the offending hoof long enough to successfully treat her. With her hoof tied up and nothing supporting the cow, she may ‘go down’ and dislocate a hip, a costly situation which can be easily avoided.

Things are changing down on the farm. Many farmers and veterinarians here are seeing that good facilities are essential for workplace safety, as well as for ease of treatment. Trimming hooves as required, and treating problems as soon as they occur can save money on vet fees, antibiotics, and lost production. The problem has been finding a crush suitable for New Zealand conditions.

European hoof trimmers require a large hydraulic crush for trimming entire herds at a time. We treat little and often - a few cows most days. Their crush is not ideally suited here. The kiwi answer is The Wrangler. Its design is based on European models but with all the features required for use here. It is so unique in fact that it holds the New Zealand hoof crush patent and has won several Fielday equipment awards. Now not only are Kiwi farmers following the Europeans with portable crushes but many are going one step further and incorporating them into new cow shed designs.

Spring Lameness Costing Thousands

Thu, 08 Jul 2010 02:20:00 +1200

Lameness is a major problem in New Zealand dairy herds. Treatment costs, milk with-holding, and wasted labour time are something dairy farmers could do without and especially during the busyness of spring!

Wilco Klein Ovink knows all too well the stress of lameness on both the farmer and cow.

"Late spring produces heavy consistent rain, which washes races and exposes the hard rock below dramatically increasing hoof problems. It is especially difficult for first Calvers learning their way through the shed while being pushed around by those higher in the pecking order" Wilco said.

"I got so sick of returning to the shed every spring day after breakfast to leg rope a cow. It would take two of us, one to hold her leg while the other worked on the hoof. It is very stressful battling with a cow when you have so much you still have to get on and do" he recalled. "Lamecow handlers are standard farm equipment in Europe yet there was nothing available here." Not perturbed Wilco developed his own.

The Wrangler is a cattle restrainer designed to make hoof trimming safe and easy. The front or rear hoof can be raised and examined without the fear of injury to operator or cow. The rear hoof rests on a bar, and the front hoof lies in a padded cradle. The underbelly girdle supports the cow should she want to go down. "With conventional leg roping there is a real concern of the cow dislocating her hip" said Wilco. "I also wanted the Wrangler to be comfortable for the cow. Even if a cow is upset the first time in, she becomes more relaxed with each visit. That saves a lot of stress!"

During spring the Wrangler is also useful as a mobile cattle crush for calving cows. It can be towed by Tractor or ATV then set up in a race, paddock, or runoff. "For us it meant we could set it up and have the Springer mob near the house leaving paddocks close to the shed for the Milkers," he explained.

Caesarians can be performed with the cow held in the Wrangler and the side bars removed giving the veterinarian complete access to the cows left flank. A local anesthetic is used so the cow remains awake and standing throughout the operation. This is both safer for the cow, and provides cleaner facilities for the vet. "In the first session we had three caesarians through the Wrangler. Previously this was not an option." recalled Wilco. "It meant a easier and better calving result - and saved a profitable cow and her valuable calf.

Race improvements, and better cow flow can help with spring lameness but as herd sizes increase lameness is a problem that will continue to increase and along with it the costs of time and labour.

Cost of Lameness

Fri, 30 Apr 2004 03:04:00 +1200

Lameness is a huge problem in the dairy industry and, while there is much discussion about its causes and prevention, it continues to increase in incidence and cost every year. If farmers added up the cost of lameness they could find it is tens of thousands of dollars every year.

A recent Dairy Insight study based on 342 farms in Southland, North Otago, and Canterbury has unveiled some staggering figures.

It found on average:

10% of the herd was lame some time during the season
Loss of income in Southland was $58,272/farm or $1,264/cow
Loss of income in Canterbury was $45,408/farm or $841/cow
Larger farms with higher rates of lameness the loss of income could be well over $100,000.

This is through:

Milk Production losses (av. drop 225kg MS/cow)
Extra labour (estimated 1.8hrs/lame cow)
Lost fertility due to poorer in calf rates (64% drop in in-calf rates)
Culled cows (lame cows are 14.69% more likely to be culled)
Treatment costs.