Lameness affects approximately 20-25% of dairy cows at any time and represents both the most costly welfare problem in dairy and an ethical failure that the industry must address.
Lameness in dairy cows represents chronic pain that profoundly affects quality of life. Lame cows spend more time lying, eat less, produce less milk, and have higher culling rates — all reflecting an animal coping with pain. The welfare case for better lameness management is compelling, and the economic case is equally strong, yet adoption of prevention programs remains inconsistent. The normalization of lameness as a production reality rather than a welfare failure reflects the same institutional inertia that delays many farm welfare improvements.