Lameness is the third most costly disease in dairy cattle and causes significant chronic pain. Preventive hoof care programs dramatically reduce lameness prevalence and the welfare burden it creates.
Cattle lameness is one of the most significant welfare problems in dairy farming by prevalence and by duration of suffering. Lame cows walk less, eat less, compete less effectively for resources, and spend less time lying - all indicators of chronic discomfort. The welfare impact is sustained over weeks to months between the onset of lameness and treatment, partly because lame cows continue to produce milk and the economic signal to treat is weaker than it would be if they stopped producing. Preventive hoof care programs - routine trimming, footbath schedules, flooring management, and mobility scoring - address lameness at the population level and are both welfare and economic investments.