Lameness is the second most common reason dairy cows are culled and causes prolonged suffering; it is substantially preventable through good foot care, flooring, and management.
Lameness causes chronic pain that profoundly affects a dairy cow's quality of life. A lame cow walks less, spends less time at the feed barrier, competes less effectively with herd mates, and is at increased risk of other health problems due to reduced mobility and immune function. The conditions that cause lameness — hard flooring, excessive standing time, inadequate nutrition, and infrequent hoof trimming — are all modifiable. High lameness prevalence on a farm is therefore an indicator of preventable suffering, not an inevitable consequence of dairy production.