Farm Animal Welfare

Cattle Hock Health and Housing Welfare

Hock lesions in dairy cows are indicators of poor housing conditions and cause chronic discomfort in a significant proportion of housed cattle.

Key Facts

Hock lesion prevalence in UK dairy herds can exceed 50% of cows
Hard concrete cubicle bases cause trauma during repeated lying and rising movements
Mattresses and deep-bedded cubicles dramatically reduce hock lesion prevalence
Hock lesions worsen throughout winter housing periods
Scoring hock health provides a welfare audit indicator requiring no specialist equipment

Welfare Considerations

Hock lesions are visible indicators of housing-related suffering. Swollen, ulcerated hocks represent repeated trauma from lying on hard, uncomfortable surfaces. The welfare cost is chronic - cows spend 12 or more hours lying daily, every day of their housing period. Investing in better cubicle bases and adequate bedding prevents this suffering.

What You Can Do

Support dairy farms investing in mattressed or deep-bedded cubicles
Advocate for hock scoring as a welfare audit metric in dairy standards
Choose dairy products from farms with documented cubicle welfare standards