6 days ago
Pioneering device to improve cattle wellbeing tested in Ayrshire
Farmers at Dumfries House's farming and rural skills training centre have been testing a device which could revolutionise cattle dentistry.
A pioneering device which could revolutionise farming practices and transform the health and wellbeing of cattle has been tested by farmers in Ayrshire.
Farmers at the farming and rural skills training centre at Dumfries House trialled the device - which aims to aid dental treatment for cows - last week.
Early trials have been successful and it is hoped that the device could be used by The King's Foundation across their sites and into the wider agricultural community.
Developed by Dr Jillian Gordon, researcher and lecturer at Scotland's Rural College (SRUC), the device is designed to safely hold a cow's mouth in the correct position to allow for examination and treatment of the teeth.
Poor dental health can lead to cattle being unable to chew properly, causing infection and ill health, but the issue has not been regularly monitored or checked until now because of a lack of specialised tools.
Beef cattle at The MacRobert Centre for Farming and Rural Skills on the Dumfries House estate, headquarters of The King's Foundation, took part in the trail which took place under the supervision of a vet.
Previous trials on dairy cows, which are more used to being handled than beef cattle, were also successful.
Dr Gordon first observed the dental problems in cattle while still an agriculture student and came up with the idea for her device as a way to tackle the problem.
She developed a prototype using a £500 grant from The King's Trust under the Test My Business Idea scheme and has now established a company to grow the project - Ovation Agriculture.
Speaking after the trial, Dr Gordon said: 'It was the first time anything like this has been tried. Similar devices exist for horses but, unlike horses, cows don't have upper teeth.
'They have a bony dental pad which is made of cartilage and gum tissue so the traditional horse mechanisms are very ineffective. Our device is designed to fit to a cow's anatomy.
'We're working with our first prototype which we have tried on dairy cows but dairy cows are used to being handled much more than beef cows. Beef cows can be five or six months between handling and are bigger and stronger.
'Each animal is becoming more and more valuable which makes this the ideal time to think about how we can prolong their lives which is more beneficial for the environment as well.'
'We are so grateful to The King's Foundation for allowing us to try this and work with them. It's a wonderful organisation.'
Alex Reynolds, farming and rural skills education manager for The King's Foundation, said: 'It's why we're here, to promote best practice in farming and rural skills, and this device could be another of the tools in the farmer's toolkit to do that.
'It's a simple concept but it's brilliant – a real breakthrough in innovation.'
