Locomotion Scoring Your Cows: Use and Interpretation

Lameness of dairy cattle is an economic and welfare issue. It is the third most important health related economic loss facing the dairy industry, following fertility and mastitis. Most economic loss due to lameness results from costs of premature culling, veterinary treatment, increased labor, discarded milk, prolonged calving interval, and reduced milk production (Kossaibati and Esslemont, 1997; Enting et al., 1997). Pain and discomfort (Whay et al., 1998), as well as the increased risk of culling due to reduced milk production (Warnick et al., 2001; Rajala-Schulz et al., 1999) and reduced reproductive efficiency (Sprecher et al., 1997; Collick et al., 1989), are also welfare concerns caused by clinical lameness in dairy cattle.