Lameness is one of the most prevalent and welfare-significant conditions in dairy cattle. Systematic locomotion scoring enables early detection and treatment, reducing the duration and severity of suffering for individual cows and improving herd-level welfare outcomes.
The welfare case for locomotion scoring is straightforward: lame cows are in pain, and early detection enables earlier treatment that shortens the duration of suffering. However, implementation requires training, time, and management commitment that vary significantly between farms. Welfare-progressive producers incorporate locomotion scoring into routine management calendars, set prevalence targets, and investigate systemic causes when prevalence exceeds thresholds. Automated locomotion assessment using pedometers and computer vision systems now enables continuous monitoring that supplements human scoring. Consumer-facing welfare certification that includes lameness prevalence reporting creates market accountability for herd-level pain management — a direct welfare benefit for hundreds of millions of dairy cows worldwide if adopted broadly.