The economic impact of lameness is significant and the second most important step for effective lameness management, after prevention, is identification, explains Carly Becker an extension educator. Practicing locomotion scoring is one way to help identify animals with gait, posture and movement issues and can easily be done when moving animals to and from pens. Becker shares six common signs that indicate possible lameness.
Source: Dairy Herd Management, September 11, 2023. Link.
INSIGHTS: Dairy workers trained in lameness detection are valuable resources in any dairy. Although lameness may be subjective, daily observation in person or combined with digital assessment tools described in the article leads to shorter duration of lameness, reduced recurrence of lameness, improvement in cow welfare, and ultimately a decrease in economic losses.