Locomotion |
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Locomotion is scored to evaluate management and housing, including the quality of, and time spent on, walking, standing, and lying surfaces. High producing, older animals are at highest risk for lameness. While there are many underlying causes for moderate and severe lameness, all likely involve pain.
Which animals to assess:
Score every cow in the highest producing, multiparous lactating pen, identified using pen-level production (lbs or kg of milk per day) and lactation data (days in milk and parity) if available. If there is only one group of cows, score the entire group. If cows are not grouped by age and days in milk, score the highest producing pen.
Using the "Everywhere" criteria, every pen, including the hospital, will be observed for severe locomotion
Using the "Everywhere" criteria, every pen, including the hospital, will be observed for severe locomotion
When to assess:
Locomotion should be scored after milking, viewed from the side, returning to their home pen/paddock/pasture. At this point, they have been on their feet long enough to show any signs of lameness or injury if it exists, and they will likely be walking out in smaller groups (relative to when they were released from the parlor, as opposed to the large group that would enter the holding pen at the beginning).
Choosing a place to observe cattle without creating a distraction can be challenging, and it may not be possible to find a “perfect” position. Any challenges that may have impacted scoring should be noted. Scoring locomotion requires concentration and patience. Locomotion scoring should not be done with other observations, while collecting other audit information or while carrying on interviews or conversations with farm employees. Under rare circumstances, when cows are released from stalls one at a time and are slowly moving passed you, you may be able to assess hygiene and severe body condition. Due to the distance and position from which you should be scoring locomotion, it is not possible to accurately assess hocks or tails, even if cows are moving along slowly, one by one.
Cows kept in tiestall barns and not normally released after milking will be scored standing in the tiestalls; in this situation, only cows with a score of 3 can be accurately identified. For more examples of lameness in tiestalls, click here.
In robotic parlor herds (AMS), cows will be scored inside the pen. The audit should ideally be scheduled on days where bedding is being added or with other management events that require cows to be locked up or moved from one area to another to facilitate observation of locomotion.
In some cases, where farms have 1 lactating pen, on tiestalls where cows are released, or on AMS herds, video can be collected to assess locomotion.
Choosing a place to observe cattle without creating a distraction can be challenging, and it may not be possible to find a “perfect” position. Any challenges that may have impacted scoring should be noted. Scoring locomotion requires concentration and patience. Locomotion scoring should not be done with other observations, while collecting other audit information or while carrying on interviews or conversations with farm employees. Under rare circumstances, when cows are released from stalls one at a time and are slowly moving passed you, you may be able to assess hygiene and severe body condition. Due to the distance and position from which you should be scoring locomotion, it is not possible to accurately assess hocks or tails, even if cows are moving along slowly, one by one.
Cows kept in tiestall barns and not normally released after milking will be scored standing in the tiestalls; in this situation, only cows with a score of 3 can be accurately identified. For more examples of lameness in tiestalls, click here.
In robotic parlor herds (AMS), cows will be scored inside the pen. The audit should ideally be scheduled on days where bedding is being added or with other management events that require cows to be locked up or moved from one area to another to facilitate observation of locomotion.
In some cases, where farms have 1 lactating pen, on tiestalls where cows are released, or on AMS herds, video can be collected to assess locomotion.
How to assess:
Benchmarks presented for scores 2 and 3 are based on the top 25% of farms based on available data.
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Score 1: Normal
Walks without obvious gait asymmetry or weight transfer between limbs; cannot discern which leg is lame after a few strides Steps may be slightly uneven, and may have a flat or subtle arch to the back |
Video by Nigel Cook
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Score 2: Moderate lameness
Asymmetric gait with obvious weight transfer and shortening of the stride of the affected limb, altering cadence of movement May also show a head bob, back arch, and joint stiffness leading to abduction of the limb 10% or fewer cows sampled should score a 2 |
Video by Nigel Cook
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Score 3: Severe lameness
Able to walk only with extreme difficulty; almost unable to bear weight on the affected limb May not keep up with normal cows in the herd, and may have a pronounced back arch with rear limb lameness 0% of cows sampled should score a 3 Using the "Everywhere" criteria, observe all pens, including the hospital, for score 3 locomotion |
Video by Nigel Cook
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