Approaching lameness in a herd

Question 1

What 2 types of lameness can we collect?

Answer 1

• mobility score data
• lesion data

Question 2

How to collect mobility score data

Answer 2

• visual assessment
• automated methods: force, gait, indirect

Question 3

What is the aim of mobility scoring?

Answer 3

• identify cows needing treatment
• prevention of spread through the herd

Question 4

Mobility score measures/results

Answer 4

• current lameness prevalence
• previous lameness prevalence
• newly lame animals at latest scoring
• current prevalence of score 3 cows
• change in lameness prevalence
• very lame animals at latest scoring

Question 5

Lesion data

Answer 5

• infectious vs non-infectious

Question 6

KPI - mobility index

Answer 6

• % healthy cows
  = (no of not lame/total number) x100
• target <10%
• what type of lesions are more prevalent? claw horn dz vs infectious

Question 7

KPI - lameness index

Answer 7

• % lame cows
  = (no of cows with AHDB score 2 & 3/total number) x100

Question 8

KPI - how to interpret prevalence

Answer 8

high prevalence:
– high incidence with rapid resolution of lameness (new cases occur all the time, but with quick recovery, e.g. herd with DD being the predominant cause of lameness)
– low incidence with prolonged recovery (new cases occur infrequently but occurring cases are chronic, e.g. herd in which sole ulcers are the predominant cause of lameness)
– medium incidence with variable resolution of lameness (combination of new cases and others being chronic, e.g. herd where lameness is caused by multiple disease (claw horn + infectious)

low prevalence:
– poor recording
– medium to high incidence (a specific dz causing low number of lame cows e.g. DD with few active lesions but high chronic)

Question 9

KPI - % severely lame

Answer 9

= (no of cows with AHDB score 3/total number) x100
- target <1-2%

Question 10

KPI - % chronic

Answer 10

= recorded lame for >2 recordings
- target <25%

Question 11

KPI - indicence rate

Answer 11

• incidence rate (treated cases):
  – cases/100 cows at risk
  – calculate on a 3-monthly/annual basis
  – <10-20 cases/100 cows at risk/year
  – <2.5 cases/100 cows at risk/3 months
  – <1-5 monthly
• monthly incidence rate (mobility score) = (no lame cows that were not lame at previous recording/cows not lame at previous recording) x100

Question 12

KPI - recovery rate

Answer 12

= cows moving into the non-lame category as a % of those in the lame category at the previous recording monthly-based
- target >75%

Question 13

KPI - % recurrent cows

Answer 13

= % of cows treated for lameness in which the lameness recurs in a 6 month period
- target <25%

Question 14

KPI - net lame index

Answer 14

= number of new cases/number of recovered cases
- target <1%

Question 15

Data visualisation - different groups

Answer 15

• mobility score by production pen (fresh, heifers, highs, mids)
• mobility score by DIM (0-100, 101-200, 201-300, >300)
• lesions recorded

Question 16

Approaching hers with lameness problem

Answer 16

• based on the locomotion score i.e lameness index, incidence rate
• based on hoof trimmer records i.e. prevalence, lesion type
• based on treatment records i.e. severity of lesions
• history + herd assessment + initial problem list -> diagnosis