KEEPING ABREAST OF WHATS AFOOT PAYS…

2 June 2000




KEEPING ABREAST OF WHATS AFOOT PAYS…

Monitoring incidence more

closely, taking better care

of heifers and washing cows

feet could all help reduce

dairy cow lameness.

Jeremy Hunt reports

ROUTINE scoring of cow locomotion and recording foot treatments undertaken in a dairy herd are important, not only for combating lameness, but also to meet the increasingly demanding requirements of farm assurance schemes.

Speaking at an MDC Focus Centre meeting on cow lameness, at Liverpool Universitys Faculty of Veterinary Science, SAC regional vet manager, David Logue, encouraged farmers to start using the locomotion scoring system.

"The observation and scoring of a cows locomotion will not give a definite cause of lameness. But identification of the level of lameness on an individual farm is important because recognising lameness is the first step towards managing existing problems and preventing further ones occurring," said Dr Logue.

The actual identification of individual lameness cases must be followed by examination and recording the results. Using a scoring chart is a good method of providing useful and easily interpreted information.

Monitoring incidence more

closely, taking better care

of heifers and washing cows

feet could all help reduce

dairy cow lameness.

Jeremy Hunt reports

ROUTINE scoring of cow locomotion and recording foot treatments undertaken in a dairy herd are important, not only for combating lameness, but also to meet the increasingly demanding requirements of farm assurance schemes.

Speaking at an MDC Focus Centre meeting on cow lameness, at Liverpool Universitys Faculty of Veterinary Science, SAC regional vet manager, David Logue, encouraged farmers to start using the locomotion scoring system.

"The observation and scoring of a cows locomotion will not give a definite cause of lameness. But identification of the level of lameness on an individual farm is important because recognising lameness is the first step towards managing existing problems and preventing further ones occurring," said Dr Logue.

The actual identification of individual lameness cases must be followed by examination and recording the results. Using a scoring chart is a good method of providing useful and easily interpreted information.

A simple lameness scoring system is:

Score 1 – the cow appears sound.

Score 2 – possibly lame, poor mobility but diagnosis unsure.

Score 3 – lame, but the cow is still able to rise and move without too much difficulty.

Score 4 – the cow is very lame and has obvious behavioural signs showing a reluctance to rise or move.

Dr Logue advised farmers to score all cows in their herd or at least all those that were in-milk.

"Start with two scoring sessions – one in mid-winter and the other in mid-summer. These times will probably coincide with traditional foot trimming."

Gathering information about specific lameness problems on the farm would enable a focused approach to be adopted for effective prevention and control.

"For example, an outbreak of digital dermatitis requires an entirely different management approach to a high rate of septic penetration injuries. Its important to be aware of exactly whats going on," said Dr Logue.

Observing cow locomotion can help manage lameness on dairy units if done just twice a year, says David Logue.

SCORING LAMENESS

&#8226 Simple system.

&#8226 Score one to four.

&#8226 Complete twice-a-year.


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