Manifesto strategies

Strategy One Ensure that the implementation of all relevant technologies and knowledge becomes the norm.

Action 1

Use current best practice for management and housing, including: cubicle comfort and lying times; foot bath design and protocols; targeted use of non-steroidal anti- inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs); space allowances; floor surfaces; heat abatement strategies and cow-tracks.

Action 2

Harness cumulative genetic gain by utilising sires with lameness resistant traits e.g. AHDB Lameness Advantage and the AHDB Digital Dermatitis Index.

Action 3

Use herd mobility scoring at least monthly, but preferably fortnightly or less, to find early, non-severe cases (score 2 cows) for prompt treatment.

Action 4

Develop automated mobility scoring technology to identify cases for treatment as early as possible.

Action 5

Invest in the development of predictive biomarkers for cows with lameness and/or hoof lesions.

Action 6

Use only trained and suitably accredited professional foot trimmers, when out-sourcing foot trimming.

Action 7

Every farm with over 200 cows to have at least one person trained in emergency on-farm hoof care.

Strategy Two

Action 8

Conduct whole herd RoMS-accredited mobility scoring (or approved equivalent) at least 6-monthly and preferably quarterly, and record data centrally.

Action 9

Processors and milk buyers to source milk only from herds that can demonstrate their herd lameness prevalence through independent RoMS-accredited herd mobility scores (or approved equivalent when available), at least 6- monthly.

Action 10

Use annual vet herd health or farm assurance visits to review each herds’ progress annually.

Action 11

Celebrate and reward Foot Health Champions, herds that have demonstrated best practice and outstanding progress, using national and regional awards.

Action 12

Reward individual vets and vet practices that demonstrate exemplary practice in the area of foot health, including by their clients showing greatest overall improvements.

Strategy Three

Action 13

Incorporate mandatory foot health improvement plans in the Animal Health and Welfare Pathway (England), the Animal Health Improvement Cycle (Wales), and the Animal Health and Welfare Interventions (Scotland).

Action 14

Use the Heathy Feet Programme or Healthy Feet Lite, delivered by trained Mobility Mentors, as the main route to facilitate change and provide bespoke relevant knowledge for farmers.

Action 15

Processors and milk buyers to be accountable for ensuring plans are in place on supplier farms, and to mandate the Healthy Feet Programme or Healthy Feet Lite are used widely.

Action 16

Use the framework within the Healthy Feet Programme to

target interventions, around the Four Success Factors of

Low Infection Pressure
Robust Foot
Low Forces

4. EDPET (Early Detection, Prompt Effective Treatment)

 

Strategy Four

Action 17

Focus on improvements in lameness prevalence as well as absolute levels.

Action 18

Recognise that all farms have different challenges, and almost every farm will have room to improve.

Action 19

Oblige every farm to record lameness prevalence, have this data collated centrally and track improvements with their nominated vet practice.

Action 20

Find a starting point for all herds, and track progress against the standard curve:

 

Action 21

Milk buyers to facilitate extra support for those farms that need it, whilst ensuring no herd gets left behind through lack of support, undue tolerance, by complacency, or by inaccurate/ unreliable scoring.

Strategy One Include all dairy herds, wherever their starting point

Action 1

Focus on improvements in lameness prevalence achieved by individual herds as well as absolute levels.

Action 2

Recognise that all farms have different challenges, and almost every farm will have room to improve.

Action 3

Encourage every farm to record whole herd lameness prevalence, and have this data collated in order to track improvements with their nominated vet practice or suitably qualified advisor.

Action 4

Encourage every farm to identify their starting point, and then track their progress. The 10% year-on-year improvement curve is relevant, regardless of the starting point.

No Data Found

Action 5

Through milk purchasers, facilitate extra support for those farms that need it, and ensure that no herd gets left behind through lack of support, tolerance of lameness, by complacency, or by inaccurate/ unreliable scoring.
Dairy Cows

Action 6

Incorporate foot health improvement plans in the Animal Health and Welfare Pathway (England), the Animal Health Improvement Cycle (Wales), and the Animal Health and Welfare Interventions (Scotland).

Action 7

Use the Heathy Feet Programme or Healthy Feet Lite, delivered by trained Mobility Mentors, as the main route to facilitate change and provide bespoke relevant knowledge for farmers.

Action 8

Through milk purchasers, ensure that plans are in place on supplier farms, and mandate that the Healthy Feet Programme or Healthy Feet Lite are used widely.

Action 9

Use the framework within the Healthy Feet Programme to target interventions, around the Four Success Factors of:

Action 10

In order to achieve prompt treatments, ensure that farms receive training in mobility scoring, and, where technological solutions to detect new cases are not in place, encourage them to score at least monthly, but preferably fortnightly or less, to find early, non-severe cases (score 2 cows).

Action 11

Use current best practice for foot health, including for management and housing; cubicle comfort and lying times; foot bath design and protocols; use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs); space allowances; floor surfaces; heat abatement strategies and cow-tracks.

Action 12

Harness cumulative genetic gain by utilising sires with lameness resistant traits e.g. AHDB Lameness Advantage and the AHDB Digital Dermatitis Index. Ensure the submission of data for national genetic evaluation, for example through the UK Hoof Health Registry.

Action 13

Develop lameness detection technologies and bring to market as soon as possible. This includes: automated mobility scoring to identify cases for treatment as early as possible; development of predictive biomarkers for cows with lameness and/or hoof lesions.

Action 14

Use only trained and suitably accredited professional foot trimmers and who are members of a professional organisation when out-sourcing foot trimming.

Action 15

Ensure that every farm has at least one nominated person who has been trained in emergency on-farm hoof care, that they can demonstrate competency and that there are suitable facilities in order to carry this out.

Action 16

Encourage farmers to use peer-to-peer knowledge exchange to share best practice. Examples include through Farmer Action Groups facilitated by Mobility Mentors, or discussion groups organised and facilitated by dairy consultants.

Action 17

In order to measure progress, conduct whole herd RoMS-accredited and independent mobility scoring (or, in time, an approved technological alternative) at least 6- monthly and preferably quarterly, and record data centrally.

Action 18

Use an annual vet herd health visit to review each herds’
progress, as well as absolute lameness prevalence level.

Action 19

Source milk only from herds that can demonstrate their herd lameness prevalence through independent RoMS-accredited herd mobility scores (or, in time, a suitable and approved technological alternative), at least 6-monthly.

Action 20

Identify, celebrate and reward Foot Health Champions, herds that have demonstrated best practice and outstanding progress, using national and regional awards.

Action 21

Reward individual vets, farm advisers, vet practices and other businesses that demonstrate exemplary practice in the area of foot health, including by their clients showing greatest overall improvements.
Reducing Lameness

Tracking progress

Signatories to this Manifesto are making public the Actions which they are choosing to adopt. These are the deliverables (commitments) against which their individual progress can be measured. No individual Signatory is able to deliver on all 21 Actions. However, all Signatories are working collaboratively towards the overall Objective, and support all four Strategies however they can.

The information that will be collated and published on this website includes:
  • The Signatories and the Actions they have chosen to adopt.
  • The progress made by each Signatory.
  • The overall progress made towards our Objective.

This Manifesto will be responsive to changes within the industry. A full assessment of the national situation and review of targets will be made every 5 years.