Lameness is one of the most important health issues on the dairy farm today. Farmers should observe cow locomotion, assess floors and other surfaces for traction, and evaluate any abnormal walking behavior that may be caused by management practices or facility issues. Start by monitoring, recording and categorizing hoof health, incidence of lameness and gait speed. Next, determine what may be the cause of lameness and claw disorders. Are certain surfaces causing problems? What can be done to rectify the situation? Poor locomotion caused by sore feet can result in significantly lower milk production. A lame cow will have less desire to eat, will be less able to compete for feed, and will be in poor condition to conceive. Observing cow locomotion will show what corrections need to be made. Timely attention to those problems will increase the health and productivity of your herd.
