Stop Slips. Stop Lameness. Save Money.
Complete Farm Services: Concrete Grooving, Hoof Trimming & Freeze Branding Across Dumfries, Cumbria & Ayrshire
Your cows hesitate on the collecting yard. You're treating lame cows every month. Your vet bills are climbing, and you're culling animals you shouldn't have to cull.
Here's the problem: A slippery floor ruins hooves. Overgrown hooves can't grip even a good floor. You need both fixed—and most farmers have to hire two different contractors.
I do both. For 15+ years, I've grooved floors and trimmed hooves across 100+ farms from Stranraer to Carlisle. Because I see both the floor and the foot, I can tell you exactly what's causing your lameness—and fix it.
One phone call. Three services. One high-quality standard.
The RC Adamson Promise
- I answer the phone.
- I turn up when I say I will.
- I leave your yard clean.
- I treat your stock with respect.
Diamond Disc Concrete Grooving
Stop Slips for 10-15 Years
Your cows know when a floor's dangerous. They walk slow. They slip. One fall can cost you a £2,000 cow—or a compensation claim that shuts you down.
The Problem with Most Grooving: Wire-cut grooving wears smooth in 12-18 months. You're paying twice. Flail machines (scabbling) shatter the concrete surface, leaving a rough mess that's impossible to keep clean.
What You Get with Diamond Disc Grooving: I use Diamond Disc machines that saw clean, square channels into your concrete. Not scratches. Not shattered surfaces. Surgical precision that lasts.
The 90-Degree Shelf Edge
A square edge creates a "shelf" that stops hooves from sliding. Round edges from wire-cut grooving offer zero grip physics. Your cows walk confidently into the parlour immediately.
Clean Channels That Stay Clean
Shallow grooves trap slurry. My grooves are deep, smooth channels that your tractor scraper cleans in one pass. No bacterial buildup causing digital dermatitis.
4 Options for Every Floor Type:
- • Deep Grooving: Main collecting yards (12-15mm depth).
- • Slat Grooving: Safe, non-shatter cutting for slatted sheds.
- • Mini-Grooving: Heifer houses/calf pens (shallower pattern).
- • Traditional Grooving: Standard pattern available on request.
"Ryan grooved our 300-square-meter collecting yard in May. The cows stopped slipping immediately. Two years later, the grooves are still sharp as the day he cut them. Best money we've spent on the farm."
Expert Cattle Hoof Trimming
Prevention is Cheaper Than Culling
The Cost: A grooved floor's useless if your cows' hooves are overgrown. One lame cow loses you £300-500 in milk yield. Five lame cows? You're looking at a £2,500 quarterly loss.
I'm a second-generation cattle foot trimmer. My father, Chris Adamson, trimmed hooves professionally for 30+ years across Scotland. I trained alongside him, learning to read a hoof and balance a cow—not just hack away at the horn.
Preventative
- • Balance hoof angles
- • Remove overgrowth
- • Spot problems 6-8 weeks early
- • Keep milk yield consistent
Corrective
- • Fix sole ulcers
- • Treat Digital Dermatitis
- • Treat White Line Abscesses
- • Fix abnormal gaits
Your Hidden Advantage: Floor-to-Foot Diagnosis
Because I groove floors AND trim hooves, I can spot patterns others miss. If I see excessive outer claw wear, I know your collecting yard has a turning problem. I don't just fix the hoof; I tell you what's causing the problem.
"We had a lameness problem dragging on for months. Ryan trimmed the herd in October and grooved the feed passage. Within 6 weeks, lameness dropped from 18% to under 5%. He spotted issues we didn't even know we had."
Professional Freeze Branding
Permanent ID That Lasts a Lifetime
The Problem with Ear Tags: You're replacing 10-15% of tags every year. That's labor and money wasted on a system that fails when you need it most.
The Solution: Freeze branding uses liquid nitrogen to kill the pigment cells. The hair grows back white, creating a clear, permanent ID that is readable from across the shed.
- Lifetime Identification: Never replace it. The animal can't rub it off, rip it out, or lose it.
- Clear, Crisp Lettering: 3-4 inch characters readable from 10-15 meters. Clean white letters on dark hide.
- Professional Application: Custom branding irons, proper freeze times (20-30s), and zero hide damage.
"We switched to freeze branding for our pedigree Angus herd three years ago. The ID is crystal clear, even on black hides. No more squinting at dirty ear tags in the parlour. Wish we'd done it sooner."
The "Whole Farm" Advantage.
Most farmers hire a groover from one company, a trimmer from another, and a freeze brander from a third.
Why not get one expert who understands the whole system?
Floor-to-Foot Diagnosis
If I see specific wear patterns on claws while trimming, I know exactly where your concrete is causing the problem.
Hoof-to-Floor Prevention
If I'm grooving your yard, I know exactly what texture and depth your herd needs based on their hoof health.
One Point of Contact
You deal with me. Not a scheduler. Not a random sub-contractor. When you ring, I answer.
One Invoice, One Standard
Simplify your accounts. And get one standard of work across every job: Perfect.
WHERE I WORK
Dumfries & Galloway
My home turf. Stranraer to Gretna and everywhere in between.
Cumbria & Carlisle
Direct coverage across the border. Serving Penrith, Kendal, Carlisle, and the Lake District.
Ayrshire
Supporting the dairy heartland across Ayrshire and Kilmarnock.
Lanarkshire & Borders
Also serving Lanarkshire & The Scottish Borders. If you're within a 100-mile radius of Dumfries, we likely cover you.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does concrete grooving last?
Diamond Disc grooving lasts 10-15 years if maintained properly. Wire-cut grooving typically wears smooth in 12-24 months. That's why I only use Diamond Disc.
When should I trim my herd?
Ideally both spring and autumn. Spring trimming prepares for turnout; autumn sets them up for housing. If you can only do one, autumn is priority.
Will freeze branding hurt my cattle?
It's uncomfortable for 20-30 seconds (cold sensation), but far less painful than hot iron branding and causes zero tissue damage.
Can you groove slatted floors?
Yes. I use specialized blades and lower cutting speeds to groove slats without cracking them.
Do I need to be present?
For grooving, I can work unsupervised if I have access. For trimming, I prefer you're nearby to help move cattle into the crush.
How far in advance should I book?
Spring and autumn are busiest. Book 3-4 weeks ahead. For emergency trimming (downer cow), I can usually fit you in within 48 hours.
Contact Me
One phone call. I'll listen to your needs, quote you fairly, and get the job done right.