Lameness is the most common welfare problem in dairy cattle globally, causing chronic pain and production losses that make it both a welfare priority and an economic incentive for improvement.
Dairy cow lameness represents the clearest overlap between animal welfare and farm economics in livestock production. Lame cows produce less milk, have reduced fertility, and are culled earlier — creating financial losses that should incentivize welfare investment. Yet lameness prevalence remains stubbornly high because detection is passive (waiting for obvious clinical signs) and treatment is reactive rather than preventive. Proactive locomotion scoring that identifies early-stage lameness, combined with prompt trimming and treatment, reduces both animal suffering and economic losses. Floor surface management and adequate lying time are the most powerful preventive interventions.