Estimated prevalence of lameness in 53 Northwest US dairy herds

Lameness is an important disease that can be quantified subjectively by locomotion scoring. The prevalence of lameness in dairy cattle has been measured in some areas of North America, but has not previously been measured in the northwest United States. In this study, 53 dairy farms in Washington and Oregon were visited, and herd lameness prevalence was estimated by locomotion scoring (using a 5-point system) using a systematically obtained sample of the lactating herd, distributed across the lactating cow pens. Over all herds, the prevalence of any gait abnormality was 21%, and just over 4% for cows that limped or refused to bear weight. Jersey herds had lower prevalence than Holstein herds, and the eastern part of the region had lower prevalence than the western part of the region. Estimating lameness prevalence on dairy farms can serve as a point of comparison or starting point for making herd and regional progress.