Treating Lame Cows over the Dry Period

We are now starting the dry period and the cows are heading away for the winter. It’s time to refresh and hopefully take a well-deserved break.

But even on the best farms there will be a group of lame cows at the end of the season and we must take advantage of the dry period to allow these cows to recover.

I would strongly recommend that any lame cows are treated before drying off and spend the winter on the dairy farm.

Lameness is a clear visible sign that a cow is experiencing pain making this an important animal welfare concern. Lame cows spend less time standing and fail to compete with sound cows at the crop face, resulting in a lower dry matter intake and failure to gain condition over the dry period. Treatment often becomes difficult and unsafe if the grazing block yards and head bail/race are not set up for dealing with lame cows.

Lame cow action list:

• Trim any grossly overgrown claws. One of the most important ways to prevent lameness from occurring during the dry period is a functional hoof trim.

• Review the lame cow mob, chronically lame cows may not respond to treatment and require culling from the herd. A veterinary certificate is an absolute must if lame cows are to be transported to the works. If these cows cannot be certified fit for transport, then a decision needs to be made to destroy on farm.

• Look for any new or mild lameness when cows are being yarded for loading onto the truck.

• Giving a anti-inflammatory when treating lame cows will significantly improve recovery rates. Metacam, Rimadyl or Ketomax are all sound options.

If in doubt about a lame cow seek veterinary advice.