The health and comfort of your dairy cows have a direct effect on your pocket. Milk production drops when cows are sick or uncomfortable, and Four Lakes has just what every dairy farmer needs to ensure he has happy, healthy cows.

Four Lakes concentrates on providing the market with quality products for calf care, post-calving, lactation, fertility, dry period, heat detection, artificial insemination and veterinary medicine. Their aim is to offer their customers internal solutions for dairy management.

Three of the most important products Four Lakes offers your dairy business are their Flymop, Hoofzinc Plus and Hoofpad Ultra.

Flymop

Flies are not only a pest for humans, but also for animals. Flies are not only troublesome for cattle but can also put your animals under stress, which can cause reduced productivity. In addition, flies also transmit diseases and can settle in open wounds on animals and further infect the wounds. It is therefore very important to keep flies away from your animals.

Four Lakes has the best solution to keep flies away. Their Flymop is a cattle oiler designed to protect livestock from flies.

The Flymop is hung at the entrances of alleyways to protect your cattle all year round. Every time the animal walks through the Flymop, it is covered with a substance that will keep the flies away.

Flymop offers farmers an easy and efficient method to keep flies away, which also offers cost savings in the long term.

Hoofzinc Plus contains everything your animals need for strong, healthy hooves.

Hoofzinc Plus

One of the most important parts of your animals’ health is healthy hooves. With Four Lakes’ Hoofzinc Plus you can ensure that your animals’ hooves are hard and healthy.

Hoofzinc Plus is liquid formula containing zinc, copper and glutaraldehyde. The mixture stops the growth of bacteria that cause foot rot and heel warts (Fusobacterium necrophorum and Treponema strains) in cattle and sheep.

What does Hoofzinc Plus consist of?

Glutaraldehyde:

  • Hardens hooves up to a point. It does not harden the hoof as much as formalin would. If the hoof is too hard it will give in when the animal steps on a rock.
  • It numbs and protects hooves from hoof warts.
  • Prevents rust forming on pipes and livestock chutes.
  • Organic material like manure does not impact the operation of the product.

Quaternary ammonium compounds (QAC):

This product is a foam mixture that ensures the Hoofzinc is distributed evenly between the hooves. This means the whole hoof is covered when the animal steps onto the hoof mat.

Zinc sulphate:

In conjunction with glutaraldehyde, it also helps to harden hooves.

Copper sulphate:

Disinfects open sores.

Hoofmat advantages:

This mat uses 50% less dip than a foot bath, therefore there is no need to add a new batch of Hoofzinc Plus every time.

Disadvantages of formalin:

  • Contains substances that can cause cancer
  • Difficult to work with because of the smell
  • Causes rust on the livestock crush pipes
  • Contaminates the soil and manure dams for life; this chemical does not break down
  • The pH balance returns to neutral when it comes in contact with organic substances like manure and soil, that is why you have to add a supplementary mixture regularly.

Hoofzinc Plus can be diluted with water and sprayed on a hoof mat or applied through hoof baths.

Four Lakes’ Hoofpad Ultra saves on dip.

Hoofpad Ultra

Four Lakes’ Hoofpad Ultra is a durable sponge mat covered with heavy-duty nylon material. The rug is designed to withstand 150 000 passes.

The Hoofpad Ultra is used for the prevention and treatment of foot rot and heel warts in animals. The mat uses 50% less dip than a foot bath, and it is not necessary to add a fresh mixture of Hoofzinc every time.

When the Hoofpad Ultra is used in combination with products such as Hoofzinc Plus, it is the complete hoof treatment your animal needs.

Contact AC Kotzé at (+27)83-305-8799 or (+27)21-557-0606 for more information about the products that www.fourlakes.co.za has on offer for your animals.