Identifying lame cows

Podcast

In this episode of Talking Dairy, host Jac McGowan discusses lameness in dairy cows with veterinarian Winston Mason and DairyNZ’s Frank Portegys, exploring its causes, costs, and prevention strategies. They share insights on spotting early signs of lameness and why prompt action can greatly reduce its impact on farms.

How to identify a lame cow

A lame cow will adjust her gait and posture differently depending on the origin of the pain in the foot or the upper limb. Evaluating locomotion involves assessing the cow’s posture (e.g., back, shoulders, pelvis), movements (while rising and lying down when possible), and each limb and claw. Typically, gait evaluation can determine whether lameness is in the front or hind limb and, sometimes, whether it is in the upper limb. Once the affected limb has been identified, the cow should be properly restrained and the most likely foot inspected. You may need to check more than one foot to identify the exact cause of her lameness.

Lameness scoring can be used at a herd level to monitor lameness throughout the year. Carry out lameness scoring on flat, even surfaces when cows are walking at their own pace (e.g. leaving the milking shed to walk back to the paddock). As a prey species, cows hide pain, so early signs of lameness are subtle. Early identification and treatment is key to rapid recovery and minimising the impact on welfare and productivity. Having everyone on farm trained in lameness identification improves early detection. Get a trained professional to lameness score your herd and help train your staff.

Once the lameness is identified, trim and treat cows promptly. Find out more about treating lameness.

DairyNZ lameness scoring scale

The DairyNZ lameness scoring system rates cows on a scale of 0 (no lameness) to 3 (very lame) and provides recommended actions based on the score. When observing cows, choose a flat area where cows can walk freely. This will ensure better accuracy when using the scoring system. Record every lame cow so you know what you are dealing with.

Fortnightly scoring is ideal, but checking half the herd at cups-off every two months is a great start, do what works for your system.

Technology such as cameras and wearables can also be used to detect lame cows. Depending on the technology you're using, it might identify a cow as lame using AI video analysis and score her from 0-3, or simply create a generic health alert that requires further investigation. Gait scoring cows with abnormal activity data can be a more efficient way of finding lame cows compared to whole-herd manual scoring.