Therapy Track Helps Down Cows Recuperate

Therapy track helps down cows recuperate LIVESTOCK Health 11-3-25 A Wisconsin dairyman says the "therapy track" he designed for his dairy barn helps down cows regain strength after a bout with milk fever or calf paralysis. Jim D. Hansen, who farms near Bloomer, suspended an old hay mow track and carrier by chains just above and behind the cow stalls in his barn. When a cow goes down, he suspends her from the track using "hip lifters" and a winch so she can gradually get her strength back by pulling herself along the track down the length of the barn. "It works best if you hang the hay mow track from chains so it can swing slightly to compensate for a cow's gait. This will also help keep the carrier on track regardless of the angle of stress," says Hansen. For more information, contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Jim D. Hansen, Rt. 3, Box 122, Bloomer, Wis. 54724.

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