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Lameness Prevention.
Any lameness action plan must take into account the factors below if it is to be successful.
1. Environmental factors.
• Enable the cow to enter and leave cubicles easily.
• Ensure the cow can lie down and rise without interference.
• Ensure the cow can stand or lie in the stall comfortably.
• Avoid the rear feet constantly being in contact with slurry and urine.
• Take care with slurry cleaning and scraping.
• Provide soft dry bedding – particularly for pre-calving heifers
• Check flooring condition –? renew poor concrete, concrete grooving, avoid variable heights
• Observe cows daily – watch for foot injuries.
• Treat cows promptly and place in straw yard/ pen for recovery.
• Regular foot bathing greatly reduces lameness in most cases.
• Regular foot trimming is also important.
2. Nutritional factors.
• Avoid Rumen acidosis.
• Take care in heifer rearing to avoid laminitis.
3. Inherited factors.
• Avoid selecting replacement heifers from cows with poor conformation, gait or hoof type.
• Use Bulls with good classification for leg and hoof conformation.
Locomotion scoring can be used to assess the progress of a lameness action plan.
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