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About Us
Welcome to the team! Nick, Gareth, James and Matthew are NACFT trained, skilled cattle foot trimmers in Shropshire! With a passion for animal welfare and many years of experience, the dedicated team of six professionals is here to provide professional hoof care services and freeze branding for farmers in Shropshire, Cheshire, Mid Wales, North Wales and beyond.
Prioritising the well-being of all animals, the team understand that healthy hooves are essential for the overall health and productivity of beef and dairy herds. Trained in the latest techniques and equipped with state-of-the-art tools and technology ensures the highest standard of care.
Jamie Davidson and James Richards are the Freeze Branding experts, with combined experience of 40 years.
Meet the Team
Nick
Growing up on the family farm Nick Challenor developed a passion for cattle and an eye for professionalism. With a wealth of farming experience, drive and determination ND Professional Livestock Services was established in 2001 and continues to grow from strength to strength.
Gareth
Gareth, a dedicated 44-year-old, is passionate about all things livestock-related. Alongside his career as a skilled foot trimmer, he takes pride in breeding pedigree working dogs and nurturing racing pigeons. A fervent football enthusiast, Gareth's multifaceted interests mirror his expertise as one of the finest stockmen I've had the privilege to encounter.
James Richards
James Richards is an important part of the team undertaking freeze branding in Shropshire. Part of the agricultural industry for over 30 years, James has been milking cows for 25 years and is now self employed offering services in relief milking and freeze branding.
James Mears
James Mears, has been perfecting his foot trimming skills for over 4 years. With a passion for both animals and sport, he's created a life that blends his love for cows and rugby. His journey in foot trimming has been marked by a continuous pursuit of excellence.
Beyond the realm of hoof care, James finds excitement on the rugby field. His talent & dedication have earned him a place with the esteemed Luctonians rugby team in Herefordshire
Jamie Davidson
Jamie has been freeze branding for over 10 years, joining the
N D Challenor team 2 years ago. A great character,when he is not busy with work Jamie enjoys pigeon racing and training dogs.
Matthew Robertson
Matthew's enthusiasm for his career in foot trimming is second to none. When he's not busy working he has a love for dogs, ferreting, shooting, and all manner of country sports. His vibrant passion for these activities is matched only by his ability to create an atmosphere of pure enjoyment when working as part of the team.
A Strategic Approach (All4Feet)
Embracing technology and sound strategic planning are essential to a sustainable and productive future in modern dairy farming.
All4Feet combines years of agricultural experience with a touch of technical know-how to create a system that makes it easy to record and share cattle data.
Recording data and monitoring it regularly helps enhance herd performance and maximise both cattle comfort and the economic benefits. How? The data will show how small improvements on a regular basis will gain big returns. Click Through to a Case Study.
In the dairy industry retailers are altering their contractual agreements with suppliers to include aspects of lameness control and monitoring. Many retailers require their producer pool to conduct quarterly mobility assessments. Mobility scoring is a hugely valuable tool in helping improve lameness by detecting issues early. All data and reporting can now be made available at the click of a button.
Investment in new computer technology holds great potential to develop breeding and management strategies for reducing lameness in any dairy or beef herd. Computerising data collection during trimming makes it possible to record quality data at the crush. It provides an opportunity to expand the management possibilities for producers. As a further step in the development process this information may even be useful in addressing genetic issues around hoof and claw health.
Cattle Comfort (Tuffy Tilt Crush)
Technologically advanced to assist with cattle comfort, trimmer posture and productivity.
The ergonomic design of the Tuffy Tilt Crush enables efficient workflow, saving time and effort. Complete with hydraulic leg restraints, neck bender, drive system, rear door and wireless remote, getting cattle in and out of the Tuffy Tilt Crush is a more seamless process. For the cattle, the padded hydraulic neck bender provides a ‘pillow’, this comfy head support helps keep the cattle calm, while the leg restraints gently grasp each leg at the touch of a button. On completion all legs are released at the same time making tilting and standing quick and easy for both cattle and trimmer alike.
