By Bell, N.J., Cattle Practice, 2005
Description
Systems for monitoring and controlling dairy cow lameness on farm have remained relatively under-developed in the UK compared with mastitis and infertility. With herd sizes and average annual milk yields increasing, the pressure to control an increasing lameness risk will inevitably drive the development of new and more sophisticated control strategies, and with it a need to properly evaluate the value and effectiveness of interventions. This paper outlines some of the principles implemented in a Defra funded intervention study into the alleviation and prevention of lameness in dairy heifers focussing on the key steps of lameness evaluation, hazard identification and intervention planning.
Systems for monitoring and controlling dairy cow lameness on farm have remained relatively under-developed in the UK compared with mastitis and infertility. With herd sizes and average annual milk yields increasing, the pressure to control an increasing lameness risk will inevitably drive the development of new and more sophisticated control strategies, and with it a need to properly evaluate the value and effectiveness of interventions. This paper outlines some of the principles implemented in a Defra funded intervention study into the alleviation and prevention of lameness in dairy heifers focussing on the key steps of lameness evaluation, hazard identification and intervention planning.
We welcome and encourage discussion of our linked research papers. Registered users can post their comments here. New users' comments are moderated, so please allow a while for them to be published.