Quill Hoof-Spray System wins RABDF award
British company Quill Productions has been awarded the RABDF Livestock Machinery and Equipment Award at the recent Livestock Event, for its innovative Quill Hoof-Spray System.
RABDF Machinery and Equipment Award
British company Quill Productions has been awarded the RABDF Livestock Machinery and Equipment Award at the recent Livestock Event, for its innovative Quill Hoof-Spray System. The prestigious award is presented to the product which is considered to be of most economic importance to the livestock industry.
The Quill Hoof-Spray System is a revolutionary new system to tackle digital dermatitis. Designed for use in the milking parlour, the new system allows Intra Hoof-fit Spray Liquid to be applied to hooves, without the need for lifting the feet. Use of the lever operated spray gun with stainless steel adjustable nozzle, allows fast, targeted application in less than 3 seconds per hoof.
The Quill Hoof-Spray System is an extremely effective and economical way to tackle digital dermatitis. Once the system has been installed, the routine application of Intra Hoof-fit Spray Liquid costs as little as 20p per month, for each cow.
This system replaces many current foot bathing or hoof care products, often resulting in product cost savings. These savings are in addition to the significant advantages gained from reducing lameness, both from an economic and animal welfare perspective.
“The entry was a clear winner,” commented RABDF council member, Angus Wielkopolski chairman of the three-strong judging team. “We were impressed by the very practical and cost effective system which uses minimal quantities of liquid and has been proven to be highly effective.”
The first dairy farmers to have used the system are finding that cases of digital dermatitis have dropped dramatically; the disease has almost been completely eradicated from their farms.
“In the past we have always used Formalin footbaths but could never really get on top of Digital Dermatitis. Since using the Quill Hoof-Spray System, we have seen outstanding results, our cases of DD have dropped dramatically – in fact it has almost gone completely. The system is very simple and fast to use; it only takes a couple of seconds to spray the hooves. It is now part of our routine.”
James Yeatman – Dairy Farmer (Dorset)
RABDF created the award to recognise the importance of machinery and equipment to the current and future profitability of the livestock farming industry. The judges appraised each entry’s innovation, its economic advantages to the farmer, running costs including replacement parts and prices, servicing requirements, safety features, energy usage, potential market and list price.
Graham Crocker, Managing Director of Quill Productions commented,
” We are thrilled to win this prestigious award. Having spent many years as a dairy farmer myself, I am very aware of the huge impact that digital dermatitis is having on the industry and I’m passionate about finding ways to eradicate it. The Quill Hoof-Spray System is a totally new concept and the result of a successful collaboration with Ambic Equipment.”
