The James Story

James Yeatman, Dorset Dairy Farmer & Managing Director Cow Recovery LTD. 

Farmer Facts: 400 cows producing 11,000 litres of milk each, plus 240 followers. Supplying Tesco through Muller. 

At the heart of every dairy farmer there is a lifelong love of cows, we dedicate our lives to the care of our cows and when it goes wrong and we’re criticized it can be very upsetting. In everything we do on the farm, we deal with reasons, not excuses. The reason that sometimes we resort to moving animals in the wrong way is a lack of manpower, alongside appropriate kit and training to do it in a way that’s acceptable to public scrutiny and animal welfare. Having gained experience over the last 30 years of farming and dealing with all the difficulties of moving down cows, I thought it was time to do something about it.  The real impetus was when Panorama highlighted the issue of farmers using a hip hoist to move a down cow on prime-time television. A hip hoist is designed to help support a cow, not to move it, as severe bruising can occur. When a down cow occurs, inevitably there are not enough staff around to deal with it on many farms, and it’s never a pleasant experience. I had developed a technique where I could move a down cow on my own, but it needed refining to allow others to do it in a repeatable and easy to follow method. 

My solution was to go and buy a second-hand bucket and make some adaptations and apply a paint job and branded it, so it was very obvious from a distance what the procedure was- essentially creating a cow ambulance. I also wanted to ensure that if a cow needed moving, I was ready and did not have to run around like a headless chicken looking for the necessary bits and pieces. I lead a chaotic life, but there is no room for chaos when it comes to moving a down cow—it has to be a procedure that we have practiced, and all the staff should understand how to react and what is expected. That way, we will achieve the best possible outcome. In human medicine, if an injured person gets the correct treatment within the first ‘Golden hour,’ the outcomes are much better than if treatment is wrong or delayed. I wanted to tap into that for my cows. 

I have always hated unnecessary paperwork. However, I think to complete the CowRecovery system, we should keep a written record of all down cows detailing why, when, and where it occurred. We can then use this information to create a heat map which, if reviewed periodically, can highlight the causes. These can then be used to formulate solutions and thus reduce the incidences. It’s just common sense—prevention is always better than dealing with a down cow. A paper trail is also potentially helpful if a visitor to the farm questions what has happened to the cow. Research shows that the recovery rate for an animal that has been down for more than 24 hours is poor. We all want to see our animal recover, but we should be very mindful of the well-documented statistics, making sure we make the right choices for the animal’s welfare. Also, if we care for the future of the dairy industry, we have to carefully consider our actions. 

I did not want to be a maverick or be accused of causing harm, so I thought it important to align myself with our vets, Synergy Farm Health. I found that there was funding available via Innovate UK to help bring farmer-led projects to fruition. Rachel Hayton from Synergy had experience in both running trials and other Innovate projects, so she was a perfect match. 

I know I may be biased, but I really hope farmers embrace the CowRecovery system and see this as an opportunity to make a real difference to the future of the industry that we care for. I have been completely overwhelmed by the support and positive feedback given by the herdsmen and women, farmers, and vets involved so far in the project.