So far this season 228 of the 800 cows wintered have been affected with 301 incidences.
Parle said all lame cows were recorded and it was difficult to compare the farm’s figures with other farms where only cows which needed antibiotic treatment may have been noted.
“It also depends how sensitive you and your staff are to lameness, whether you pick up a cow’s feet when there is only a slight change in her locomotion score or you only deal with cows that really have a problem.”
She said in 2008 and 2009 when the demonstration farm was not fully recording lameness the incidence was between about 5%-7%.
“You are never going to have no lame cows in a season on your farm but you should have a policy of recording lameness and a target to get beneath. And you should be looking at the reasons why you are having lame cows.”
When the farm began recording all lameness in the season, starting in 2010, it found 36% of its heifers were having problems compared with 22% of its cows. A change in policy to have heifers in a separate herd from calving until mating in 2012 swapped the figures and in 2013 of the 40% of the herd affected, only 21% of the heifers became lame compared with 46% of the cows.
Cows eight years and older now make up the largest age group affected with 74% of them recorded as having a problem.
Lameness peaks on the farm in November and April and this year 83% was due to white line disease which is when the sole separates from the hoof letting stones and mud penetrate the white line region causing infection. Other causes were footrot (5%), bruising (5%) and unspecified (7%).
“White line disease is caused by long walking distances and pressure on cows on the tracks and in the dairy yards. It’s when they are turning and their feet are scraping on concrete that the damage happens. I’m recommending a health hoof advisory visit in the spring to look at cow flow and as well as track conditions.”
