No wrangling with the Wrangler

Cows and people are the backbone of every dairy farm and good cow handling facilities, that keep cows healthy and the staff safe, are a must.

Gone are the days of leg roping cows, a job that was often difficult and dangerous, and where there was a good chance the cow could kick the farmer or fall and dislocate her hip. Safe farm practices now mean each shed should have a Wrangler for lame cow and animal health treatments.

In the Wrangler, the cow is held by the head bail but also underneath by belly girths which prevent her from falling.

The cow’s hooves can then be winched up and held by foot supports giving the farmer easy access for investigating any problems and trimming the hoof. It is also great for calving cows in and, with the removal of the sidebars, can be used for caesarean operations.

With the job being easier and safer staff tend to check hooves sooner, saving the farm a lot of unnecessary cost associated with lameness.

In 2003, when the payout was just $3.70/kg of milksolids (MS) , Dairy Insight did a study into the costs of lameness on an average Southland farm.

The result was a staggering $832 a cow because of a 225kg drop in MS, 1.8 hrs of labour and a 64% drop to in-calf rates. Cows were also 14.7% more likely to be culled because of lameness.

Over a herd of 461 cows with 10% lameness that meant a $58,272 drop in income from lameness so the Wrangler pays for itself in no time.

Designed and built in New Zealand, the multi-award winning Wrangler comes with a five-year structural guarantee.

It has cost-effective solutions for sharemilkers and upgrade options for big farms.

It is available through Farm Source stores, Farmlands, PGG Wrightson, most dairy shed builders or from the Whakatane factory. For more information visit www.thewrangler.co.nz