Prevent Dairy Cow Lameness Through Better Management

By Blake Jackson

Lameness remains one of the most costly and welfare-impacting health challenges in dairy herds, affecting productivity, reproduction, and farm profitability.

Lameness ranks among the top three diseases impacting dairy cattle, alongside mastitis and infertility. Its greatest economic burden comes from lost milk production, with lame cows producing significantly less milk per day over the course of an episode.

Most lameness cases are linked to foot disorders, which are broadly categorized as noninfectious or infectious. Noninfectious conditions include sole ulcers and white-line disease, while infectious disorders include interdigital phlegmon, interdigital dermatitis, and digital dermatitis. Of these, digital dermatitis commonly called hairy heel warts is the most prevalent.

Digital dermatitis is strongly influenced by environmental and management factors. Poor barn hygiene, inadequate manure removal, weak biosecurity, and animal stress all increase risk. The disease spreads easily when cows stand in manure for long periods or when infected animals are introduced into a herd.

First-lactation cows and recently calved cows are particularly vulnerable due to immune suppression, and Holsteins appear to be more susceptible than other breeds.

The financial impact of lameness includes both direct costs, such as treatment and prevention, and indirect losses from reduced milk yield and impaired reproduction. Recent economic modeling estimates the average cost of a lameness case at roughly $337, with digital dermatitis being the most expensive cause.

Each additional week a cow remains lame further increases losses. Herds with preventive strategies such as regular hoof trimming, footbaths, solid flooring, and frequent alley scraping show dramatically lower lameness rates and shorter recovery times.

Early detection is critical. Visual locomotion scoring, observation of weight shifting, and activity monitoring can help identify lame cows sooner, even in tie-stall systems. Proven prevention tools include routine hoof trimming and properly managed copper sulfate footbaths, which remain one of the most effective controls for digital dermatitis. Investing in prevention improves both animal welfare and long-term farm economics.

Best Management Recommendations to Reduce Lameness in Dairy Herds:

• Schedule regular preventive hoof trimming, ensuring cows are trimmed at least twice per year to reduce the risk of foot disorders and prolonged lameness.
• Maintain clean and dry housing conditions by scraping alleys frequently and minimizing manure buildup to limit the spread of infectious hoof diseases.
• Use properly managed copper sulfate footbaths, following recommended concentrations and frequency to effectively control digital dermatitis.
• Detect lameness early through consistent monitoring, using visual observation, locomotion scoring, or activity monitoring systems to allow timely treatment and reduce losses.
• Provide abundant, clean, cool drinking water, ensuring tanks are shaded and allow 2.5-3.5 inches of linear water space per cow.

Photo Credit: gettyimages-ahavelaar