Lameness Prevention and Monitoring
alternative practice names:
Hoof Health Programs; Cattle Eye; Footbath; Routine Trimming
Lameness is one of the two most common diseases of dairy cattle, with documented lameness across the U.S. affecting as many as 40% of cattle in given herds (Urban-Chmiel et al., 2024). Farmers can implement any number or combination of best practices to improve hoof health and minimize lameness in a dairy herd.
It is important to distinguish between hoof health and leg-related lameness, as they involve different underlying causes and require distinct management strategies. Hoof health issues, such as infections and injuries, are often addressed through regular foot trimming, foot baths, and proper hoof care. In contrast, leg-related lameness typically arises from structural or joint problems, which can be influenced by factors like stall size, mattress and bedding quality, and the condition of flooring.
The key to implementing a comprehensive hoof health program will always be on the preventative side, helping sound cows remain free of lameness longer. The negative effects of lameness on welfare, productivity, fertility, and efficiency are well-documented, and these combined can affect the dairy operation's bottom line dramatically through direct costs like treatment and labor, as well as indirect costs like lost milk production and culling risk.
Whether proven or emerging, these strategies adhere to a common theme of minimizing the insults to the cow's feet throughout her life and detecting new cases of lameness early so that treatment can be offered to the affected cow and additional preventative measures can be directed appropriately for the rest of the herd.
When used, in what regions in the U.S. is the practice found:
Northwest, West, Upper Midwest, Southwest, Northeast, Southeast
FARM SIZE
When used, typically found on farms of the following sizes:
All Sizes

Practice Benefits
Increased profitability: Reducing lameness can have a big impact on farm profitability by increasing milk production, improving reproductive performance, and increasing feed efficiency. In the United States, annual costs resulting from lameness range from $120 to $330 per cow and from $100,000 to $200,000 in herds of 1,000 cows (Liang et al., 2017).
Reduced labor: Managing and treating lame cows can be time-consuming and challenging, impacting both the workflow and overall productivity of the farm. Addressing lameness more effectively could streamline daily operations and reduce the time spent on handling and treating affected animals.

Implementation Insights
Site-specific or Farm-specific requirements

In most cases, there are no specific site or farm requirements.
Required Capital Expenditures (CapEx)

Automated footbath systems: These systems mix footbath solutions based on customizable settings and automatically replenish chemicals to maintain therapeutic concentrations as cows pass through.
Flooring improvements: Ensuring concrete flooring is non-slip, properly grooved, and that alleys are sufficiently wide can prevent leg injuries and improve overall hoof health.
Lying surfaces: Investments in cow comfort, such as improved lying surfaces, appropriate stall dimensions, and quality bedding, can enhance hoof health by increasing lying time and reducing time spent standing or perching.
Activity monitoring systems: Camera systems and activity monitors that track cow locomotion scores can aid in the early detection of lameness.
Restraint equipment for trimming: Chutes, tables, and other equipment support safety and efficiency when performing routine hoof trimmings and lameness treatments.
Required Operational Expenditures (OpEx)

Personnel: Implementing a comprehensive hoof health program typically takes the allocation of labor. However, as with many health prevention programs, the need for labor and therapeutics to treat acute lameness can decrease over time, and the resulting improvements in performance can offer a significant return on these investments. Small to medium-sized dairies may seek professional providers, whereas larger operations are more likely to train one or more dairy personnel for the tasks. In either case, appropriate training, equipment, and continuing education are advisable for people who regularly perform hoof trimming.
Manure removal: Frequent manure removal leads to cleaner and drier feet, which has been shown to improve hoof and skin integrity and reduce the transmission of infectious causes of lameness, such as digital dermatitis and interdigital necrobacillosis.
Hygeine practices: Typically performed twice annually, routine trims prevent lameness by addressing hoof overgrowth and other minor issues before they escalate into more serious conditions. Overgrowth and uneven wear lead to abnormal biomechanics in the hoof and sometimes hoof lesions. Other essential best practices include maintaining a clean and dry environment, providing adequate traction wherever cows walk, periodically applying disinfectants to their feet (usually via a footbath).
Treatment: Timely treatment of lame cows is essential in preventing the progression of lameness, reducing the severity of the condition, and promoting quicker recovery.
Implementation Considerations

Program management: Timing and appropriate adjustments to hoof health programs are very important, and the most common problems with lameness arise from this theme. For example, running a footbath properly will require management to examine the conditions around footbath timing and cow flow so that cows enter footbaths with as clean a foot as possible and as large a fraction of the herd as possible is exposed to optimal solution concentrations. In some herds, this will mean changing the solution more often; in other herds, it will mean starting with a fresh bath at different times of the day throughout the week.
Cow care follow-through: Herd health leaders often emphasize identifying lame cows, but unless those cows have their feet picked up and cared for in an equally timely manner, simply identifying the lame cows will not impact the results of a lameness program.
Financial Considerations and Revenue Streams
There are no federal cost-share programs or conservation funding for this practice.
FINANCIAL RESOURCES, TOOLS, AND CASE STUDIES
Additional Resources
Article: Impacts of Lameness - Part 1: Preventing Lame Cows (Pennsylvania State University)
Article: Impacts of Lameness - Part 2: Strategies for Identifying Lame Cows (Pennsylvania State University)
Article: 8 Blocking and Trimming Tips For Dairy Cow Hook Health (Bovine Veterinarian)
Factsheet: Walking Strong A Factsheet Series on Dairy Hoof Health (UW Extension Dairy Team)
Website: Components of a Hoof-Trimming Program in Cattle (Merck Manual)

Environmental Impacts
MAY REDUCE FARM GREENHOUSE GAS FOOTPRINT
There is currently little to no scientific research evaluating the impact of the practice on a farm's environmental footprint. Lameness is associated with reduced milk yield, lack of weight gain, poor fertility, and frequent animal culling (Urban-Chmiel et al., 2024). Lameness or injury also accounts for approximately 20% of mortalities and 16% of selective culls in mature U.S. dairy cows (USDA, 2017). Therefore, reducing the incidence of total lameness and clinical lameness increases production efficiency and enables a farm to reduce its population of replacements, which may reduce the farm's environmental footprint by reducing enteric methane emissions, improving water and feed use efficiency, and boosting milk production efficiency.
REFerences
Salfer, J. A., Siewert, J. M., & Endres, M. I. (2018). Housing, management characteristics, and factors associated with lameness, hock lesion, and hygiene of lactating dairy cattle on Upper Midwest United States dairy farms using automatic milking systems. Journal of Dairy Science, 101(9), 8586–8594.

Alignment with FARM Program
FARM Environmental Stewardship (ES) V2-V3 Alignment
An optional input in FARM ES Version 3 asks which percentage of culls are for feet and legs. Cull rates influence herd demographics and replacement rates, which in turn impact the greenhouse gas emissions intensity.
FARM Animal Care (AC) V5 Alignment
The FARM Animal Care program requires that 5% or less of observed lactating cows score 3, and 15% or less score 2 on the FARM Locomotion Scorecard. Additionally, the Herd Health Plan (HHP) must include a written protocol for the prevention and treatment of lameness.
Contents
We're always eager to update the website with the latest research, implementation insights, financial case studies, and emerging practices. Use the link above to share your insights.
We're always eager to update the website with the latest research, implementation insights, financial case studies, and emerging practices. Use the link above to share your insights.
Lameness is one of the two most common diseases of dairy cattle, with documented lameness across the U.S. affecting as many as 40% of cattle in given herds (Urban-Chmiel et al., 2024). Farmers can implement any number or combination of best practices to improve hoof health and minimize lameness in a dairy herd.
It is important to distinguish between hoof health and leg-related lameness, as they involve different underlying causes and require distinct management strategies. Hoof health issues, such as infections and injuries, are often addressed through regular foot trimming, foot baths, and proper hoof care. In contrast, leg-related lameness typically arises from structural or joint problems, which can be influenced by factors like stall size, mattress and bedding quality, and the condition of flooring.
The key to implementing a comprehensive hoof health program will always be on the preventative side, helping sound cows remain free of lameness longer. The negative effects of lameness on welfare, productivity, fertility, and efficiency are well-documented, and these combined can affect the dairy operation's bottom line dramatically through direct costs like treatment and labor, as well as indirect costs like lost milk production and culling risk.
Whether proven or emerging, these strategies adhere to a common theme of minimizing the insults to the cow's feet throughout her life and detecting new cases of lameness early so that treatment can be offered to the affected cow and additional preventative measures can be directed appropriately for the rest of the herd.
Practices and technologies
Lameness Prevention and Monitoring
alternative practice name:
Hoof Health Programs; Cattle Eye; Footbath; Routine Trimming