| | New tool highlights seven behaviours that indicate this costly problem is progressing.
Alberta dairy farmers now have access to a $20 learning tool that can help them save up to $400 per cow. Firm Steps: Identifying Lameness in Dairy Cattle is a two-disk CD-ROM set that brings together ground-breaking research on an issue that’s critical to animal care and farm economics.
“We've being concerned about lameness in dairy cattle for years,” says Rick Corbett, Ruminant Nutritionist with Alberta Agriculture and Food. “Until recently, however, we haven't had enough scientific information to alleviate the problem before it requires treatment.”
Researchers from the University of British Columbia and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada found that seven behaviours provide a reliable tip-off that lameness is developing.
For example, cows that are sound tend to maintain a flat back while walking and standing. As lameness progresses, a cow will tend to arch its back, to relieve some of the pressure on the affected leg. This and six other lameness-indicating behaviours are illustrated on the CD-ROM, along with a scoring system producers can use to assess the state of their cows.
See the signs, help the cow
“Some of these signs can be very subtle,” says Corbett. “You’re not likely to see all seven in the same cow at the same time, but taken together, you’ll be better able to recognize the symptoms when you see them.”
The earlier lameness can be detected, the simpler the treatment will be and the less the ailment will cost the producer. Says Corbett: “Research shows the cost of lameness in a cow can be up to $400. That’s the impact of lost production and delayed reproduction. Clearly, it pays to act early.”
To order your copy of the Firm Steps: Identifying Lameness in Dairy Cattle CD-ROM, call 1-800-292-5697 or visit www.agriculture.alberta.ca/firmsteps. The cost is $20, plus GST and shipping.
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