Lameness is the most prevalent and costly welfare problem in dairy farming, affecting up to 25% of cows in some herds — causing chronic pain that is often undertreated and underrecognized.
Lameness causes persistent, often severe pain that dairy cows experience for extended periods. Because lame cows eat less, produce less milk, and reproduce poorly, lameness also represents a significant economic loss — yet many farms delay or avoid treatment, accepting lameness as an inevitable cost of production. This reflects both treatment cost concerns and a failure to recognize the welfare emergency. Regular locomotion scoring (at least monthly), prompt treatment when lameness is detected, soft rubber flooring to reduce foot stress, regular hoof trimming, and attention to nutrition (particularly biotin, zinc, and copper) are evidence-based prevention and management strategies. Foot bathing programs reduce infectious causes. Farms achieving low lameness prevalence demonstrate that good welfare and good productivity are aligned.