“I will contend that we now know more than ever what causes lameness, and while we still have more to learn, we know enough currently to solve the global lameness problem in our dairy industry,” Dr. Nigel B. Cook of the University of Wisconsin – Madison School of Veterinary Medicine says.

Lameness is a highly visible and important animal welfare issue, and nutrition should be part of the focus of managing it, says Mike Hutjens, professor emeritus of animal sciences at the University of Illinois.

Dairy cows spend about half of their lives standing or walking. Anything that affects a cow’s ability to walk comfortably will have a negative impact on milk production. Cows with sore feet don’t appreciate standing for excessive lengths of time waiting to be milked and are quickly limited in their ability to get to the feedbunk and waterers.

Time and time again, research shows there are multiple different risk factors that result in a cow getting lame. From cow housing and bedding to manure management, nutrition, cow hygiene and trimming schedule, there are a lot of factors to consider.

In addition to being detrimental for cows’ longevity, reproductive performance and production, lameness is our dairy industry’s most visible animal welfare issue. We face increasing pressures from the public to ensure our cows are well cared for.

Hoof trimmers, industry representatives and sponsors gathered in Syracuse, New York, July 19-22 to attend the Hoof Health Conference.

Ever wondered what the inside of an udder looks like? Watch as Penn State’s Dr. Robert VanSaun dissects an udder to explain the anatomy of the mammary gland and the causes of mastitis.

My inquisitive 11-year-old recently asked me if a newborn child belonging to a family we know was in the hospital because the baby didn’t get enough colostrum. Wow. I could tell by the look on his face it was going to be a long conversation when I told him human babies don’t need colostrum like calves do.

Take a moment to think about your last cow to calve. Was it smooth sailing or were there complications? If a complication arose, has this issue occurred before?

Managing cows through the end of the dry period and into their next lactation remains a challenge across many dairy farms. Much of this is driven by what we ask cows to handle throughout the weeks before and after calving.