Lameness in cattle is a serious welfare issue, causing both pain and distress to the affected animal, as well as financial implications to the producer through loss of milk yield, reduction in daily live weight gain in replacement animals, treatment costs and ultimately early removal from the herd due to culling.
Many supermarkets now insist that all dairy herds are mobility scored at least 4 times per year. One of these must be carried out by an independent and suitably qualified person that holds an up-to-date ROMS certificate.
By regularly mobility scoring a herd you can identify lameness early. Areas on the farm that maybe causing lameness levels to be higher than desired may be highlighted. Think about your standing and lying times, loafing areas, and foot bathing regimes – is there room for improvement? Reports can be used as a tool to set targets, or to monitor the success of management changes e.g. foot trimming protocols, earlier identification of lame cows through staff training, new cow tracks and walkway surfaces.
How we score:
As a scorer we assess the prevalence and severity of lameness within the herd by observing the cattle walking one at a time in a straight line, on a flat surface (usually as animals are leaving a milking parlour)
All animals are identified by freeze brand or ear tag and assigned a score of 0 (good mobility), 1 (imperfect mobility), 2 (impaired mobility), 3 (severely impaired mobility)
A report will then be generated for you to use as a management tool and submitted to your milk buyer if required
Top tips to get on top of lameness and reduce the cost to your farm:
-Carry out frequent mobility scores (at least quarterly)
-A mobility score gives a great overview of the lameness level in your herd, and is a good way to monitor improvements, especially if lame cows are treated ASAP after the scoring day
-Invest in training a member of staff so that they can pick up and treat lame cows ASAP
-An easy to use foot trimming crush – the easier it is to work with, the more likely it will be to get used!!
-Routine trim all cows at drying off
-Work with your foot trimmer to ascertain the main lameness lesions that they are finding
-Work with your vet to identify the risk factors for the lameness found on the unit
-Ask your vet to perform an environmental assessment to see if areas such as housing, walkways and holding areas could be improved
How can we help?
Synergy offer a wide range of training courses that we can tailor to a farm’s individual needs
Foot trimming & mobility scoring visits
For more information or to discuss your herd’s mobility please call us on 01935 83682 and speak with a member of the Vet Tech Team.
