If a dairy cow doesn’t stand well, she probably doesn’t milk well. That’s why proper hoof trimming is crucial for the success of any dairy farm.
Foot issues and lameness are one of the leading reasons cows are removed from the herd — a fact that Appleton Steel’s Bryant Hess knows all too well. He started hoof trimming when he was 21 and the business really is a family affair — his father Craig worked as a hoof trimmer before starting the company 30 years ago when he built the first Appleton trimming chute in the family garage.
Today Appleton, the Wisconsin-based company, boasts a 25,000 square-foot manufacturing facility and a 12,000-square-foot parts and assembly centre. Four models of the Appleton machines are marketed in the U.S., Canada and internationally.
In this report from the Canadian Dairy XPO at Stratford, Ont., Hess takes RealAgriculture’s Bernard Tobin on a tour of an Appleton Ultra Pro chute. The machine featured here can handle up to 15,000 trims a year and is headed to a large Utah dairy operation.
In the video, Hess discusses all things hoof trimming, including how he works with farmers and professional trimmers to customize chutes to meet their needs. He shares how stationary and mobile machines differ and also highlights career opportunities for future hoof trimmers.
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