The risk of dairy cows suffering from lameness issues greatly increases during the autumn period on farms.
Cases of lameness in the autumn are often double that of the spring, with issues such as white line disease, bruises and ulcers more common than infectious problems like mortellaro.
White line disease, bruises and ulcers are generally all caused by the same issues. These include poor-quality road surfaces, poor herding practices and overcrowded collecting yards.
Unfortunately, completely eliminating lameness cases is almost impossible, but reducing the number of cases that occur is possible.
Lameness
There are a number of ways that lameness can be reduced on farms. Some of these are discussed below.
1. Mobility scoring
Mobility scoring helps to identify animals that are in the early stages of a lameness issue.
Treat minor problems promptly; do not wait until the number is larger to justify time spent on treatment.
2. Roadway surfaces
Inspect road surfaces across your farm; any areas that need attention should be fixed. Remove overhanging branches and clean verges.
You should also check the areas where the road meets concrete near the yard and check if small stones are being lifted onto concrete.
3. Walking
Autumn often means longer walks for cows. If feasible, identify the higher-risk cows with a history of lameness to run as a separate group.
These cows could be milked once-a-day (OAD) and grazed in paddocks near the yard.
4. Collecting yard
Measure your collecting yard. Is there at least 1.5m2 of space/cow, including the cows that enter in the first two rows for milking?
Look at using rubber matts in some areas of the milking parlour, for example on a rotary where the cows exit the platform. Cows exiting the platform of a rotary have to back out and turn, which can put pressure on there feet.
5. Herding
When herding cows it is important that you don’t rush them; allow cows to walk to and from the milking parlour at their own pace.
If you are herding cows in a vehicle such as a jeep or a quad stay at least 10-15m back from the last cow.
Prevention
Unfortunately, no matter how good your prevention measures are, you are still likely to suffer from cases of lameness.
But trying to prevent cases and treating any cases that do appear as quickly as possible is still your best defence.
Many farmers will have noticed that lameness issues appear to be passed down from mother to daughter. So, culling cows with lameness issues is likely to help reduce the number of cases on your farm further too.