Herd Lameness: Mobility Scoring Flashcards
what are the issues with reducing lameness on farm
Problems:
Staff time/lack of labour
No skilled labour
Poor facilities
Unpopular tasks
Lack of information
Little perceived benefit
how do you do a mobility score
How to score:
Flat even surface
No obstacles
Cows can walk freely
Surface type consistent
Subjective but initiatives in place to try and standardize it
Mobility vs lameness
Will the farmer believe you?
what is the purpose of mobility scoring
Used to benchmark herds and as part of their overall welfare assessment
Used to monitor the herd and assess as part of their overall welfare assessment
Used to monitor the herd and assess progress
Used to identify those cows needed for examination
what are the effects of previous lameness
Lame in 1st lactation then ~3x more likely to be lame in lactation 2
Trim 1st lactation heifers 2-3 months after calving
how often should cows be trimmed
Each cow twice a year
Lame cows as soon as they occur
Cows trimmed once, were twice as likely to be treated for acute lameness as those trimmed twice
Cows trimmed twice were 70% less likely to be lame or to develop a sole ulcer than those trimmed once
what treatment records should farmers keep
Farmer treatment records:
Should be an indicator of incidence?
As antibiotic treatments are not universal, may not be fully recorded
Farmer detection only 25%?
Measure of score 3 and chronic cows only?
what records should the foot trimmer keep
Measure of prevalence over time?
Standard recording method?
What cows are they seeing?
Should allow an assessment of main cause(s) of the problem
what causes digital dermatitis
Bacteria (spirochaetes, Treponema bovis)
Secondary bacteria from the environment
Urine and wet feet
Anaerobic conditions
Interaction with slurry
Fecal build up and contamination
Questionable immunity
what lesions are shown here
digital dermatitis
how is digital dermatitis treated
Screen feet in parlour using a mirror and use 3 day spot treatment with antibiotic spray on lesions
what are the ideal foot bath dimensions
4m long
2.5m wide
why is looking after heifers and dry cows essential to prevent digital dermatitis
Heifers that develop digital dermatitis during the rearing period 2x as likely to develop lesions once they calve
Emphasis on foot bathing and slurry management strategies
what lesions are shown here
sole ulcer/hemorrhage
how is BCS loss related to controlling lameness
Managing body condition score loss to peak yield:
Extent of loss
Rate of loss
When loss occurs
BCS <2 within last 16 and 3 weeks
Lost BCS within 4 weeks of calving
what lesions are shown here
white line disease
