Lameness is one of the most prevalent and costly welfare problems in dairy farming, affecting millions of cows with preventable pain.
Lameness represents one of the largest welfare problems in dairy farming by prevalence. A quarter or more of cows in high-intensity systems experience lameness at any time, experiencing chronic pain that significantly affects their quality of life. Lameness is caused by a combination of flooring type, overstocking, inadequate lying time, nutritional factors, and infectious disease. The pain of lameness is well-documented through behavioral changes, reduced lying time, weight shifting, and reduced activity. Because lame cows also produce less milk, there is strong economic alignment between welfare improvement and production optimization, making lameness one of the more tractable welfare problems in commercial dairy farming.