Preventive hoof care programmes dramatically reduce lameness prevalence in dairy herds, representing one of the highest-return welfare investments in cattle farming.
Preventive hoof care transforms lameness from an epidemic welfare problem to a manageable minority condition. Herds with routine trimming and monitoring programmes achieve lameness prevalences below 5%, compared to 25-30% in unmanaged herds. This difference represents tens of thousands of cow-days of pain prevented per herd per year. The economic case for preventive hoof care is strong, but welfare considerations alone provide compelling justification. Welfare-focused herds invest in trained hoof trimmers, regular locomotion scoring, and prompt treatment of identified lame animals.