Epidemiologic Investigation of Dairy Herd Lameness

Lameness in dairy cattle can lead to weight loss, reduced milk production and reproductive problems. In an effort to investigate a lameness problem in a Pennsylvania dairy herd, a form was developed to objectively assess herd management and cow disease status that could be used to investigate the outbreak of herd lameness. Use of these forms, coupled with Dairy Herd Improvement Association production records and ration evaluations can be used to generate hypotheses for causes of herd lameness problems.