Hoof Care Field Guide Encouraging Farmers, Vets and Advisors to Work Together to Help Reduce Lameness in Dairy Cattle on UK Farms

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Hoof care field guide Encouraging farmers, vets and advisors to work together to help reduce lameness in dairy cattle on UK farms

The AHDB Dairy Healthy Feet Programme is a bespoke plan for lameness reduction that aims to: • Assess what factors are contributing to lameness • Diagnose the lameness problems • Develop an action plan with you to rectify the problem • Monitor the progress being made The HFP helps develop skills for long-term lameness control Contents

4 Introduction 5 A normal foot: which bit does what? 6 Hoof care tool kit 8 Knife know-how 9 Sharpening a knife 10 Healthy Feet Programme 11 Foot conditions: common lesion types 12 Spot – Lift – Look 14 Lifting a foot: handy tips 16 Trimming cow’s feet 17 Trimming steps: five-step Dutch method 23 Trimming pitfalls: some do’s and don’ts 24 Digital dermatitis: principles of treatment 26 Foul: principles of treatment 28 Injury of the horn: principles of treatment 31 How to block a foot 33 Sole bruising: principles of treatment 34 Tricky conditions: cases for the vet 36 The lame cow: aftercare 37 When to trim? 38 Appendix Photographs courtesy of Reaseheath College, Owen Atkinson MRCVS, Keith Cutler MRCVS, Nigel Cook, Nick Bell, Jon Reader, University of Nottingham, ICAR Claw Health Atlas and Neil Chesterton BVSc. Introduction

We all want fewer lame cows • Lame cows cost money • Lame cows have a reduced milk yield • Lame cows are in pain and are a welfare issue • Lame cows take more time and effort to manage and lower morale

Reducing lameness requires a planned approach and a commitment from the whole farm team.

The four cornerstones of lameness reduction: • Low infection pressure • Good horn quality and hoof shape • Low forces on the feet (good cow comfort and good cow flow) • Early detection and prompt, effective treatment of lame cows Early and effective treatment of lame cows is an essential part of successful lameness reduction. This guide will help you to do just that.

4 A normal foot: which bit does what?

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1. Wall horn – this is equivalent to our finger nail and is by far the strongest horn and most important for bearing weight. 2. Sole horn – equivalent to the foot pad on a dog or cat. 3. White line – the junction between wall horn and sole horn, made up of weaker horn. 4. Pedal bone – equivalent to the bone at the end of our finger tips, it is the main bone in the hoof (triangular in shape). 5. Laminar corium (quick) – important tissue supporting the pedal bone within the hoof wall (the 'laminae'). 6. Sole corium – responsible for making new sole horn. Prone to damage leading to sole bruising, sole ulcers and white line heamorrhage. 7. Coronary band – at the hairline at the top of the hoof wall. New wall horn grows down from here, taking about a year to reach the toe end and five months at the heel. 8. Flexor tendon – attaches to the pedal bone. Damage following deep infection can lead to toe distortion. 9. Digital cushion – a dense fat pad under the heel. With the heel, it is very important for absorbing and dissipating force, and supporting the pedal bone, when the animal walks.

5 Hoof care tool kit

Having the correct equipment is half the job for good hoof care.

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1. Antibiotic spray 2. Foot blocks – there are many different types available. Shown here is a fitted shoe type and a wooden block. 3. Gloves – thick latex gloves are ideal. 4. Wrist protectors – the neoprene type are inexpensive and easy to clean. 5. Hoof knives – 1 x left handed and 1 x right handed, with a single edged blade. Narrow blades are generally easier to use and sharpen. 6. Hoof knife protectors – a length of plumbing pipe, as shown here or an old milking machine liner, will help keep blades sharp and safe.

6 7. Hoof trimmers – quality nippers are a better investment than clumsy choppers. 8. Hoof testing pliers – an under-used but essential bit of kit which can make life so much easier. 9. Knife sharpener 10. Measuring tool – to get correct toe length and sole thickness.

Anti-inflammatory Recent research suggests that lameness cure is maximised with anti-inflammatory (NSAID) treatment in addition to therapeutic trimming and elevation of the diseased claw using a block when cows are newly and predominantly mildly lame. Speak to your vet for advice.

7 Knife know-how

Both of these knifes are left-handed. The one at the top has a hardened stainless steel blade.

More expensive knives have blades of harder steel: they stay sharper longer but are harder to sharpen.

Most new knives need pre-sharpening before use. 7 3 A grinding wheel or angle grinder should be used to make the cutting edge more gradually tapered, like the blade on the right. This will ensure the edge stays sharper for longer and will be much easier to re-sharpen.

Remember to disinfect hoof knives between cows to reduce the risk of spreading digital dermatitis from cow to cow.

8 Sharpening a knife

1. Never sharpen the back side of the knife. 2. Touch the blade up regularly. 3. Keep the blade tapered at about 10°.

A purpose made knife sharpener has a narrow sanding belt and a cloth polishing wheel. It turns in the opposite direction to bench grinders. Wear goggles and always ensure the sanding belt rotates away from you.

9 Healthy feet programme

The AHDB Dairy Healthy Feet Programme is based around four key success factors: 1. Low infection pressure – foot bathing and slurry management. 2. Good horn quality and hoof shape – foot trimming. 3. Early detection and effective treatment of lame cows – facilities, confidence and competence of staff and mobility scoring. 4. Low forces on the feet – good cow flow and cow comfort.

Lameness map

1 2 ✓ ✓

Good hoof shape, horn quality Low infection pressure and digital cushion Digital dermatitis White line disease ✓ 3 ✓4

Sole ulcers Early detection and prompt, Low forces on the feet (good effective treatment of lame cows cow comfort and good cow flow)

• Every herd has different lesion patterns. Once you know yours, you can use the Lameness map to develop a programme to improve herd mobility • Confusion with recognising lesions: different names for the same condition and lesions not looking like text book pictures! • Many feet will have more than one lesion. Lesion distribution may change with season • Lesions may be caused by infection or be non-infectious • A non-infectious lesion, such as a sole ulcer, can become infected when dirt and bacteria get access to living tissue • Infection in the white line causes an abscess, pus can track up and burst out

10 Foot conditions: common lesion types

An injury or condition of the foot is called a lesion.

Infectious or skin conditions

Foul Digital dermatitis Superficial dermatitis

Non-infectious conditions are lesions of the horn and cannot spread from cow to cow.

Non-infectious conditions

Sole bruising Sole ulcer White line disease

11 Spot – Lift – Look

Prompt action for lame cows is a key to success 1. Spot It is most important to spot the cows that have just gone lame. If these are dealt with immediately, treatment can be a relatively simple and rewarding job. The chronically lame cows who have had a problem for a long time can be much more difficult to treat effectively and disease is more likely to recur.

Regular mobility scoring is the best way to spot newly lame cows. See the Appendix on page 39 for more details.

2. Lift To find out what is causing the lameness and then effectively treat it, you need to lift the foot. This should be easy, safe and not unpleasant for you or the cow. It should be possible for one person to get one cow in the crush in one minute.

12 3. Look Sometimes the cause is easy to spot while other cases need more skill to detect. Proper training in practical cattle hoof care will build confidence in correctly finding and dealing with lesions.

Applying pressure to different parts of the foot using a pair of hoof-testing pliers is much better than digging at black marks.

Don’t delay, treat today Early identification and prompt, effective treatment of claw horn lesions is key to their successful management. for advice.

If animals are treated early, you will not necessarily find lesions that look significant. This is great news. Apply a block to the sound claw and treat with an anti-inflammatory to maximise recovery (don’t be tempted to over-trim). When treating lame cows with claw horn lesions, they should be considered to have lesions on both hindlegs regardless of which leg is identified as lame. A therapeutic trim (plus additional treatment(s) as required) of the non- lame leg should be carried out at the time of examination.

Recent research has shown that any delay in the time to treatment of claw horn lesions, regardless of the treatment administered, is likely to reduce the rate of recovery.

13 Lifting a foot: handy tips

Good quality hoof trimming is a difficult skill to master and a poor quality job can actually make cows lame. A practical training course is strongly recommended for all new trimmers. Regular refresher courses help to keep you up-to-date and to improve technique.

Keep it easy • Have a comfortable crush for inspecting feet • Make sure the crush is always available and clean in an area where you are happy to work: light, dry and airy is best The back chain A chain around the back of the cow allows you to lift a hind foot without the need for tying the leg to the back f the crush or a block, which cows resent and positions the foot at an awkward angle. Many crushes can be simply adapted, shown on the right.

Thread the back chain through the leg strap.

14 The belly band These are useful to give the cow more confidence and security while lifting feet, particularly front feet. The band should be wide, forward on the animal and loose fitting. Take more of the cow’s weight with the belly band, but avoid overtightening – the band is there to support but not to take the cow’s weight. (You should still be able to fit fingers between the band and the cow). Lifting the opposite back leg may help in some crushes.

If a cow falls forward on the yoke she can choke or crush the nerves on the point of her shoulder which supply her front leg.

Where to stand Front feet Have your back to the cow Invest in a purpose built and stand on the outside of foot support. your knee: you can work comfortably this way.

15 Trimming cows feet

Before you begin, lift the foot so the cow is comfortable. Clean and dry the foot with sawdust. Work safely – do not stand where you are likely to be kicked.

Avoid over trimming The most important thing when trimming cows’ feet is always to err on the side of caution and not take too much off, especially from the inner claw on hind feet.

16 Trimming steps: five-step Dutch method

Step 1

Start with inner claw of hind foot and the outer claw of the front foot. 5mm

Measure the inner hind claw from where the top of the claw goes 80mm hard. 8cm is a safe length for most young, healthy Holsteins. 5mm • Add ~5mm if the wall is measured from the hair line instead of the point at which the claw goes hard • Add ~5mm if the claw is trimmed to a point, instead of leaving a step at the toe. 9cm will be required if the claw is measured from the hairline and no step is left at the toe.

Warning: This is only a guide on length for second lactation Holsteins. There is no easy method for predicting the optimum length. Optimum length will vary around this - length needs to be adjusted for age, breed, environmental conditions and disease.

Remove excess sole down to 5–7mm. Avoid trimming the rear of the sole in order to maintain heel height and keep the toe level. If unsure always err on the side of safety and avoid over trimming.

17 Step 2 Repeat for outer claw, levelling up to the inner claw. Normally more horn has to be removed from the outer claw. Only minimal horn is removed from the inner claw to retain weight-bearing.

Take care not to remove the axial white line weight- bearing horn which stretches back from the toe a third of the way along the axial wall (inner wall of claw).

18 Match to correct toe length

Equal toe depth Care taken if presented with curled toes

50:50 weight-bearing Care taken if risk of thin sole

19 Step 3 Model (dish) out the inner parts of both claws, behind the wall on the inner claw edge, to allow a flow of muck between the toes and to reduce weight-bearing on the typical sole ulcer site – see area circled yellow. It is important the modelling does not extend into the toe triangle as this results in removal of the weight-bearing axial wall.

For routine foot checks and trims, such as at drying off, these three steps will be sufficient if no injury or problem is found. Proceed to steps 4 and 5 wherever a problem exists.

20 Step 4 This step is for creating a height difference for a painful claw (one with a horn lesion) so injured parts bear less weight and are allowed to recover. In most cases horn is removed from the back 2/3 of the outer claw. In the majority of cases, a block should be applied to the sound inner claw to create a height difference. If not applying a block check the height difference with the flat of the hoof knife handle.

Always conserve horn on the inner claw to bear weight.

21 Step 5 Remove any loose horn from the heel, there will be more in cases of heel horn erosion. Beware of removing too much weight-bearing surface from the bulbs of the heel. Check between the claws and at the heel for digital dermatitis.

Only back Only back 1/3 of inner 2/3 of outer hind claw hind claw

The procedure for front feet is similar, except that the outer claw is trimmed first and the inner claw is the most likely to have injuries. Preserve horn on the outer claw.

22 Trimming pitfalls: some dos and don’ts

3 Avoid over-trimming • Measure correctly from where the wall is hard/thick (not the hairline) • Don’t guess • Recognise when a foot doesn’t need trimming • Check for thin soles

7 Don’t over-trim the wall • The wall is the most important weight-bearing structure • A mistake commonly made with grinders is 'shaping' the wall • Preserve the wall on the inside edge too, which is at the front third of the foot 3 Avoid chasing black marks • A trimmed foot does not have to appear white! • Cracks and flakes on the sole are normal – avoid trimming away sole unnecessarily, especially at the toe • In particular, always preserve horn on the inner claw (or outer for front feet)

23 Digital dermatitis: principles of treatment

Symptoms Digital dermatitis (DD) is usually found at the back of the heel but can be between the toes, on the hair line at the front or side of the foot or even on exposed corium from another injury, such as a white line abscess. Such digital dermatitis infections of the corium are associated with DD complicated claw horn lesions.

Digital dermatitis is a skin infection, usually found near the bulbs of the heel. You must lift the foot to treat it effectively.

Preventing the spread of new infections and re-development of dormant lesions is critical to control of DD. Regular foot bathing, hygiene and disinfection at foot trimming and steps to improve yard or pen hygiene are key to prevention. To monitor spread of DD assess the number of cows with lesions by hosing feet in the parlour and assess general cow foot cleanliness.

24 Digital dermatitis: principles of treatment

Step 1 Remove dead tissue The bacteria hide deep in the skin and are covered by dead skin and sticky ooze. This must be removed by wiping hard.

Digital dermatitis is extremely sensitive to most antibiotics but can be hard to treat as the bacteria hide deep in the skin.

Step 2 Apply antibiotic spray A licensed antibiotic spray can be used and works well. Repeat treatments will be necessary for more severe cases. The bacteria prefer an oxygen-free environment so leaving the area open to the air is recommended. If bandages are used (to hold bactericide in place) they must be removed within 2 days.

The area to be treated must be cleaned well before applying spray.

25 Foul: principles of treatment

Symptoms • Sudden onset lameness • Skin between claws is broken • Symmetrical swelling and heat around the foot • It smells

Cows with interdigital Very aggressive forms of growths can be prone to foul are called ‘super foul’. foul. Growths can be as a Digital dermatitis is also result of previous foul sometimes seen on the infections. same foot.

Ask your vet to look at animals if a) there has been no improvement or b) there is a need to cut into corium (flesh) as this requires local anaesthesia.

26 Step 1 Step 3 Clean out the cracked skin Inject the cow with between the claws. appropriate antibiotics. Check for and remove any Seek advice from loose stones. your vet.

Step 2 Step 4 Spray the relevant Give anti-inflammatory area with a topical pain relief (NSAID) under treatment. veterinary guidance.

27 Injury of the horn: principles of treatment

Begin by following steps 1 to 3 of foot trimming method (see pages 16–20) Always correct the toe length and foot balance before seeing to the problem. Take care not to take too much horn away by unnecessarily following black marks. Step 1 Take weight away from the injury This is the main principle of treatment. For less severe problems this can be done by carefully trimming around the affected area (often the back two thirds of the outer hind claw). Preserve the sole and wall on the unaffected claw.

White line lesion A sole ulcer Check height

28 Step 2 Block the unaffected claw if necessary Most blocks require 3–5mm of glue in order to set.

Trimming alone is often insufficient to remove weight from the injury.

Step 3 Remove under-run horn

A false sole caused by pus A white line abscess bursting tracking to the toe. out at the top of the wall.

Allow drainage so gravel and dirt does not get trapped in a pocket you have created.

29 A white line abscess may have pus tracking back towards the heel, forwards to the toe or up the wall. A sole ulcer may have some loose horn around its base. With care, these injuries can be opened up to allow drainage and to get air to the injury. Sole ulcers may have flesh protruding – carefully trim around this but there is no need to cut it off.

Avoid bleeding. Bleeding means you have cut into live tissue and you are creating a new injury.

Removing under-run horn to the point of where it is firmly attached to the underlying corium requires care, time and skill. A blunt probe can help guide how much to remove. Digitial dermatitis infection on the corium can occur and is thought to result in delayed healing or failure to cure. Exposing these lesions to air and treating with topical antibiotics is important. Step 4 Pain relief Give anti-inflammatory pain relief (NSAID) under veterinary guidance.

30 How to block a foot

Step 1 Clean the foot thoroughly. Step 2 Dry with hair dryer or methylated spirits. Step 3 Mix glue according to instructions. Step 4 Apply block well back on sole of healthy foot. Push on firmly but do not squeeze too much of the glue out from between the sole and the block or it will not stick as well. Step 5 Let the glue set thoroughly before letting the foot down.

31 Common pitfalls • The block does not sit far enough back on the sole, so the cow walks on her heel (lengthening toe) • The foot is not level before applying the block • The foot is not dry enough so the glue doesn’t stick well • The glue is taking a long time to set due to cold weather: store all equipment in a warm place • The block is left on too long: uneven wear at the heel leads to the cow rocking backwards as she walks • The back of the block rubs the heel of the other claw • The block slopes backwards • The glue is applied too far back towards the soft horn of the heel • Failing to give anti-inflammatory pain relief (NSAID) which has been shown to promote recovery

Check the block regularly and remove if wear is uneven or the block causes discomfort. Cows with blocks should be rechecked at four weeks after treatment to ensure the lesion is healing and to check the block. If in doubt, remove the block. If the lesion has not healed and the block is badly worn, remove it and apply a new one.

AHDB Dairy has produced a short film on block techniques, which can be viewed on the AHDB Dairy YouTube channel.

32 Sole Bruising: principles of treatment

Symptoms • Red or yellowish areas on the sole • Often thin soles too • Cow walks stiffly • Often more than one foot is affected

Animals commonly affected • Freshly calved heifers which have not been acclimatised to concrete/cubicles • Stock bulls • Cows walking a long way on tracks How to treat it 1. If only one claw is affected, apply a block to the healthy claw 2. Do not remove excessive horn – the soles are often already thin 3. Rest the cow

Keep the cow on a soft surface (pasture or straw yard) until healed. Extensive grazing herds: switch the cow to once a day milking and keep in a paddock close to the parlour while it recovers.

33 Tricky conditions: cases for the vet

Deep infection You will see: • Swelling around one claw • The cow is very lame • Often begins as a sole ulcer which has become infected • The toe is 'cocked up' • A bead of thick white pus can be squeezed from centre of ulcer

Typical sole ulcer site is very A ‘club foot’ can develop close to the joint space in the foot.

Infection in the joint is very painful. Treatment will require surgery (carried out by a veterinary surgeon by law) or immediate culling.

34 Necrotic toe • Often associated with digital dermatitis infection of the corium • They can begin as a toe ulcer which has become infected or from an infection tracking under the wall of the coronary band • The cow walks back on her heel • There is usually no swelling of the foot • The condition is very painful because the infection is to the bone in the foot • Proper treatment requires surgery by a veterinary surgeon and use of anaesthetic

Interdigital growths • Most of these are best left alone although careful trimming of any rough horn between the claws may reduce rubbing • Some have digital dermatitis or foul which require treatment • Removing growths is an act of veterinary surgery

Know the boundaries of your expertise: consult your vet if in any doubt.

35 The lame cow: aftercare

Lame cows need special attention • They are less likely to compete at the feed face • They find it harder to get up and down therefore are more prone to injury • They are likely to slip down the “pecking order” and are less able to assert themselves in a crowd

Advantages of a lame cow group • Small group size which can be managed to have a short milking time and less competition for feed and water • Can be kept on loose housing or at pasture to allow cows extra room and grip to get up and down • Speeds up recovery time

Every dairy farm should have a ‘special needs’ facility, for proper care of lame and injured cows. This should be separate from the calving and fresh cow group.

36 When to trim?

• Regularly mobility score cows to spot lame cows early • Don’t wait to treat them • Record all lesions found: your herd’s lesion pattern is important to develop your lameness reduction plan

Every dairy farm should have a ‘special needs’ facility, for proper care of lame and injured cows. This should be separate from the calving and fresh cow group.

• Routine foot checks around drying off means cows calve down with good foot shape • Include heifers prior to first lactation, only if they have overgrowth • A second routine check 6–10 weeks into lactation, when horn disorders are most likely to be present, can be useful • Some cows (for example extensive grazing herds) never need trimming, as hoof wear matches growth. However, regular hoof checks can still reduce lameness • Using a professional hoof trimmer is sensible in many herd situations: they have the necessary skills and equipment • Use a licensed hoof trimmer registered with the Register of Cattle Foot Trimmers (www.rocft.co.uk), the Cattle Hoof Care Standards Board (www.hoofcareregister.co.uk) or another recognised accreditation body Think ‘foot check’ rather than ‘foot trim’

37 Appendix

Further information and resources dairy.ahdb.org.uk/mobility The Healthy Feet Website www.cattle-lameness.org.uk ICAR Claw Health Atlas www.icar.org/documents/icar_claw_health_atlas.pdf

38 How to score your herd In general: 1. Check your herd, ideally at least once a month. 2. Choose a time and a place which will allow you to observe cows, ideally on a hard (ie concrete) non-slip surface. Monitor each cow individually allowing them to make between 6–10 uninterrupted strides. Watch the cow from the side and the rear and if possible, ensure the cow turns a corner as part of her test. 3. Record the identities of cows scoring 2 or 3 and schedule treatment with regular checks to ensure treatment is working. 4. Keep a tally of cows that are score 0 and 1. 5. If you are uncertain about the exact score of a cow, make repeat observations. If you are still unsure, examine her feet.

Key benefits of scoring 1. Every cow is regularly assessed for the early signs of poor mobility, prompting foot trimming and action lists. 2. Mobility trends can be monitored to identify new problems at an early stage. 3. Provision of figures for benchmarking performance. 4. General foot health awareness is increased. 5. Motivates farm staff to improve herd mobility and therefore overall herd health. For further information on using the mobility score contact the extension team at AHDB Dairy on 024 7647 8684.

39 AHDB Dairy Mobility Score AHDB DairyDairy MobilityMobility Score Score Category of score AHDBScore DairyDescription Mobility of cow behaviour Score Suggested action Mobility score CaCategorytegory ofof scorescore ScoreScore DescriptionDescription of of cow cow behaviour behaviour SuggestedSuggested action action Good mobilityCategory of score 0Score WalksDescription with even ofweight cow behaviourbearing • No action Suggestedneeded action Description of Suggested Category ofAHDB score Dairy Mobility andScore rhythm on all four feet, with • Routine (preventative) foot GoodGood mobility mobility cow00 behaviourWalksWalks with with evenaction even weight weight bearing bearing • No• Noaction action needed needed Good mobility andand rhythm rhythm on on all0 all four foura feet,flatWalks feet, back. with withwith even• Routineweight• Routine bearing(preventative) (preventative) trimming• foot No foot action when/if needed required Category of score Score Description of cow behaviour Suggested action• Record mobility at next Good mobility – Score 0 aa flat flat back. back. and rhythm on all trimming four trimming feet, when/if with when/if required •required Routine (preventative) foot Long, fluid strides possible. scoring session. a flat back. • Record• Record mobility mobility at next at next trimming when/if required Good mobility Walks0 withWalks Long, with fluid• No even actionstrides weight needed possible. bearing • No scoringaction needed session. • Record mobility at next even weightand Long, rhythm fluid on stridesall four possible.feet, with • Routine scoring (preventative) session. foot • Routine Long, fluid strides possible. scoring session. bearing anda flat back.(preventative) foot trimming when/if required rhythm on all trimming when/if • Record mobility at next four feet, with a required flat back. Long, fluid strides possible. scoring session. Impaired mobility - Score • Record mobility Long, fluid at next scoring strides session possible.

Imperfect mobility 1 Steps uneven (rhythm or weight • Could benefit from routine Imperfect mobility – Score 1 bearing) or strides shortened; (preventative) foot trimming Imperfect mobility 1 Steps uneven (rhythm affectedor weight limb or limbs• Could not benefit from routine when/if required Steps unevenSteps • unevenCould benefit (rhythm or weight Imperfect mobility Imperfect mobility (rhythm1 or bearing)from or routinestrides1 shortened;immediatelySteps uneven identifiable. (rhythm (preventative)• Could or weight benefit foot • from trimming Further• routine Could observation benefit from routine weight bearing)affectedbearing) (preventative) limb or orstrides limbs foot shortened; not bearing) or strides when/if shortened; (preventative) required footrecommended. trimming (preventative) foot trimming Imperfect mobility or1 strides Stepsimmediatelyaffected uneventrimming limb (rhythm identifiable. orwhen/if limbs or weight affectednot limb• or Could• limbs Further when/ifbenefit not observation from required routine when/if required shortened;bearing) immediately orrequired strides identifiable. shortened;immediately identifiable. (preventative) recommended.• Further footobservation trimming• Further observation affected limb • Further observation or limbs notaffected limb or limbs not when/if recommended. required recommended. immediately(preventative) identifiable. foot • Further observation immediately trimming when/if identifiable. required recommended. • Further observation recommended

Impaired mobility 2 Uneven weight bearing on • Lame and likely to benefit a limb that is immediately from treatment identifiable and/or obviously • Foot should be lifted to Impaired mobility 2 Uneven weight bearingshortened on strides (usually• Lame with and likely to benefit establish the cause of lameness Impaired mobility a limb that is immediately2 anUneven arch to theweight centre bearing fromof treatment on before• Lame treatment and likely to benefit Impaired mobility 40 2 identifiableUneven weight and/or bearing obviouslya limbon that is immediately• Foot• Lame should and be likely lifted to to benefit from treatment Impaired mobility 2 Unevena limb weight that isbearing immediately theon back). • Lame and from likely treatment to benefit• Should be attended to as soon a shortenedlimb that is strides immediately (usually identifiable with and/or from establish treatment obviously the cause of as• lamenesspractically Foot should possible. be lifted to identifiable and/or obviously • Foot should be lifted to identifiablean arch to and/or the centre obviously of shortened strides• Foot before(usually should treatment withbe lifted to establish the cause of lameness shortenedtheshortened back). strides strides (usually (usually withan archwith to the establishcentre• Should establishof the be cause attended the of cause lameness to asof before soonlameness treatment an anarch arch to the to centrethe centre of ofthe back). before as practically beforetreatment treatment possible.• Should be attended to as soon thethe back). back). • Should• Should be attended be attended to as soon asto practicallyas soon possible. as practically as practically possible. possible.

Severely impaired mobility 3 Unable to walk as fast as a • This cow is very lame and brisk human pace (cannot keep requires urgent attention, up with the healthy herd). nursing and further Severely impaired mobility 3 Unable to walk as fast as a • This cow is very lame professional and advice Severely impaired mobility brisk human pace3 (cannotLameUnable keepleg easy to walk to identify as requires fast – as aurgent attention,• Examine• This cowas soon is very as possible lame and Severely impaired mobility 3 Unableup with to thewalk healthy as fast herd). aslimping; abrisk humanmay barely• pace This nursingstand cow(cannot ison andvery keep furtherlame • and Cow requires will benefit urgent from attention, treatment Severely impaired mobility 3 Unable to walk as fastlame as leg/s; a back arched• This when cow is very• Cowlame should and not be made to brisk human pace (cannot upkeep with the healthy requires professional herd). urgent attention, advice nursing and further up briskwith thehuman healthy pace herd). (cannotstanding keep and walking. nursing requires and further urgent attention, walk far and kept on a straw Lame leg easy to identify – • Examine as soon as possible professional advice up with the healthy herd). professional nursing advice and further yard or at grass limping; may barely standLame on leg easy •to Cowidentify will – benefit from• treatment Examine as soon as possible Lame leg easy to identifyVery – lame. • Examine professional as soon as advicepossible• In the most severe cases, lame leg/s; back archedlimping; when may barely• Cow stand should on not be made• Cow to will benefit from treatment limping;Lame mayleg easybarely to stand identify on – • Cow• will Examine benefit asfrom soon treatment culling as possible may be the only standing and walking. lame leg/s; back walkarched far whenand kept on •a straw Cow should not be made to lamelimping; leg/s; backmay barelyarched standwhen on • Cow• should Cow willnot bebenefit made possible from to treatment solution. standing and walking. standing and walking. walk yard far orand at kept grass on a straw walk far and kept on a straw Verylame lame. leg/s; back arched when • In• the Cow most should severe not cases, be made yard or to at grass standing and walking. yard or walk at grass far and kept on a straw Very lame. Very lame. • In the culling most maysevere be cases, the only• In the most severe cases, yard or at grass culling possible may besolution. the only culling may be the only Very lame. possible• In solution.the most severe cases, possible solution. culling may be the only possible solution. AHDB Dairy Mobility Score

Category of score Score Description of cow behaviour Suggested action

Good mobility AHDB Dairy0 Walks Mobility with even weight Score bearing • No action needed and rhythm on all four feet, with • Routine (preventative) foot Category of score Score Descriptiona flat back. of cow behaviour Suggested trimming action when/if required • Record mobility at next Good mobility 0 WalksLong, with fluid even strides weight possible. bearing • No action scoring needed session. AHDB Dairy Mobilityand rhythm Score on all four feet, with • Routine (preventative) foot a flat back. trimming when/if required Category of score Score Description of cow behaviour Suggested• Record action mobility at next AHDB Dairy MobilityLong, fluidScore strides possible. scoring session. Good mobility AHDBCategory of score Dairy0 MobilityScoreWalks withDescriptionScore even of weightcow behaviour bearing •Suggested No action action needed Good mobility AHDB Dairy0and Mobility rhythmWalks with on even allScore weightfour feet,bearing with • No action• Routine needed (preventative) foot Category of score Score Description ofa cow flat behaviour andback. rhythm on all four feet,Suggested with action• Routine (preventative) trimming when/iffoot required Category of score Score Descriptiona flat of cowback. behaviour Suggested trimming •action Recordwhen/if required mobility at next Good mobility 0 Walks with even weight bearing • No action needed • Record mobility at next Long, Long,fluid fluid strides strides possible.possible. scoring session. scoring session. Good mobility and0 rhythm Walkson all fourwith feet,even with weight bearing• Routine (preventative)• No action footneeded a flat back. and rhythm on all four feet, with trimming •when/if Routine required (preventative) foot • Record mobility at next Imperfect mobility a flat back. 1 Steps uneven trimming when/if (rhythm required or weight • Could benefit from routine Long, fluid strides possible. scoring session.• Record mobility at next Long, fluid strides possible. bearing) scoring or session.strides shortened; (preventative) foot trimming affected limb or limbs not when/if required Imperfect mobility 1 Stepsimmediately uneven (rhythm identifiable. or weight • Could• benefit Further from observation routine bearing) or strides shortened; (preventative) foot trimming recommended. affected limb or limbs not when/if required immediately identifiable. • Further observation Imperfect mobility 1 Steps uneven (rhythm or weight • Could benefit from routine recommended. bearing) or strides shortened; (preventative) foot trimming affected limb or limbs not when/if required Imperfect mobility 1 Steps uneven (rhythm orimmediately weight identifiable.• Could benefit from routine• Further observation recommended. Imperfect mobilityImperfect mobility bearing)1 or StepsstridesSteps uneven shortened; uneven (rhythm or(rhythm weight (preventative) or weight• Could foot benefittrimming from • routine Could benefit from routine affected limb or limbs not when/if required bearing)bearing) or strides or shortened; strides shortened; (preventative) foot trimming (preventative) foot trimming immediatelyaffected identifiable. limb or limbs not • Further observation when/if required immediatelyaffected identifiable. limb or limbs recommended. not• Further observation when/if required immediately identifiable. recommended. • Further observation recommended.

Impaired mobility Description of Suggested2 Uneven weight bearing on • Lame and likely to benefit Category of score Impaired mobility cow behaviour 2 actionUnevena limb weight that bearing is immediately on • Lame and from likely treatment to benefit a limbidentifiable that is immediately and/or obviously from treatment• Foot should be lifted to Impaired mobility Uneven weight bearing on • Lame and likely to benefit Impaired mobility – Score 2 2 a limb that is immediatelyidentifiableshortened and/or strides fromobviously (usually treatment with • Foot should establish be lifted the to cause of lameness identifiable and/orshortened obviouslyan arch strides to the (usually• Footcentre should with of be lifted to establish before the cause treatment of lameness Impaired mobility 2 UnevenUneven weight weight bearing shortened on• Lame strides and •likely an (usually Lame archthe and with back).to likely the tocentre benefit establish of the cause of lameness before • treatment Should be attended to as soon bearing on an archto benefit to the centre from of before treatment Impaired mobility a limb2 that isUneven immediately weight bearing on the from back). treatment• Lame and likely to benefit • Should be attended to as soon the back). • Should be attended to as soon as practically possible. identifiablea limb that aand/or limb is that obviously is immediatelytreatment • Foot should frombe lifted treatment to as practically possible. as practically possible. shortenedimmediately stridesidentifiable (usually and/or •with Foot obviously should establishbe •the Foot cause should of lameness be lifted to an arch to the centre of before treatment identifiableshortened strideslifted (usually to establish with establish the cause of lameness theand/or back). an arch to the centre of • Should be attended before treatment to as soon Impaired mobility - Score the cause of as practically possible. obviouslythe back). lameness before • Should be attended to as soon as practically possible. Impaired mobility shortened2 Uneven weighttreatment bearing on • Lame and likely to benefit strides (usuallya limb that is immediately from treatment with • Should be attended an arch to identifiablethe to as and/or soon as obviously • Foot should be lifted to centre of shortenedpractically strides possible(usually with establish the cause of lameness Severely impaired mobility 3 Unable to walk as fast as a • This cow is very lame and the back). an archbrisk to human the centrepace (cannot of keep requires beforeurgent attention, treatment Severely impaired mobility up with3 the healthyUnable herd). to walk as fast nursing as aand further • This cow is very lame and SeverelySeverely impaired impaired mobility mobility – Score 3 the back). 3 Unable to walk as• fast Should as a be attended• Thisto as cow soon is very lame and Severely impaired mobility 3 Unable to walk as fast as a •brisk This cowhuman is very pace lame (cannotand professional keep advice requires urgent attention, Lame leg easy to identifybrisk – human •pace Examine (cannot asas soonpractically keep as possible possible. requires urgent attention, Severely impaired mobility brisk3 humanUnable pace (cannot to walk keep as fast as a up requires with theurgent• This healthy attention,cow is herd).very lame and nursing and further Unable to walk limping;• This maycow barely is very standup withon the healthy• Cow will herd). benefit from treatment nursing and further up with the briskhealthy human herd). pace (cannot keep nursing and requires further urgent attention, professional advice as fast as a lamelame leg/s; and back requires arched when • Cow should not be made to up with the healthy herd). professional nursing advice and further professional advice standing and walking.Lame leg easy to identify walk far – and kept on a •straw Examine as soon as possible Lamebrisk leg human easy to identify – urgent attention,• Examine as professionalsoon as possible advice limping;Lame may leg barelyeasy yard tostand identify or aton grass – • Cow •will Examine benefit from as soontreatment as possible limping;pace (cannotmayLame barely leg standeasy tonursingon identify and – • further Cow will •benefit Examine from as treatment soon as possible Very lame. limping; may• barely In the most stand severe on cases, • Cow will benefit from treatment lamekeep leg/s; up limping;withback thearched may barelywhenprofessional stand on•lame advice Cow shouldleg/s;• Cownot back bewill made archedbenefit to from when treatment • Cow should not be made to culling may be the only standinghealthy and herd).lame walking. leg/s; back• Examine arched whenas standing soon walk lame faras and •and leg/s; Cow kept walking. should on back a strawnot archedbe made towhen walk far• Cowand keptshould on anot straw be made to possible solution. standing and walking.possible yard or at grass walk far and kept on a straw yard or at grass VeryLame lame. leg easy • In thestanding most severe and cases, walking. walk far and kept on a straw to identify – • Cow will benefitVery lame. yard or at grass • In the most severe cases, Very lame. culling may• Inbe the the most only severe cases, yard or at grass limping; may from treatment possibleVery solution. lame. culling may be the only culling• may In the be mostthe only severe cases, barely stand on • Cow should not be possible solution. possible cullingsolution. may be the only Severely impaired mobility lame3 leg/s; Unableback tomade walk to walkas fast far as a • This cow is very lame and arched when and kept on a straw possible solution. standing andbrisk humanyard orpace at grass (cannot keep requires urgent attention, walking. up with • theIn the healthy most severe herd). nursing and further Very lame. cases, culling may professional advice Lame legbe easy the only to identifypossible – • Examine as soon as possible limping; solutionmay barely stand on • Cow will benefit from treatment lame leg/s; back arched when • Cow should not be made to standing and walking. walk far and kept on a straw 41 yard or at grass Very lame. • In the most severe cases, culling may be the only possible solution. Example score sheet with workings

Mobility Score Farm: A. Farm Date: 01/01/09 Scorer: A. Farmer Total number of cows scored: 119

Score 0 and 1 Score 2 Score 3 Acceptable mobility Likely to benefit from treatment Very lame.Treatment urgently required

Record the ID’s of any cows showing Record the ID’s of any cows showing Tally the number of cows signs of Score 2 signs of Score 3

Group 1 202 412 34 IIII IIII IIII IIII II 101 6 8 55 20

Record and tally the number of Note the IDs of cows showing Note the IDs of cows showing cows scoring 0 or 1, ie 22. signs of Score 2, ie 6. signs of Score 3, ie 2.

Number of cows: 22 Number of cows: 6 Number of cows: 2 Group 2

IIII IIII IIII IIII IIII II 22 29 412

Number of cows: 27 Number of cows: 2 Number of cows: 1 Group 3 10 15 10 66 21 3 44 IIII IIII IIII 54 43 21 4 12 209 321 11 Number of cows: 15 Number of cows: 12 Number of cows: 3 Group 4

36 66 62 48 16 IIII IIII IIII IIII IIII

Number of cows: 24 Number of cows: 4 Number of cows: 1 Total cows: 88 4 % Total cows: 24 20 % Total cows: 6 % Mobility index % of cows in the herd scoring 0 and 1 4 %

www.dairy.ahdb.org.uk/healthyfeet

42 Blank score sheet

Mobility Score Farm: Date: Scorer: Total number of cows scored:

Score 0 and 1 Score 2 Score 3 Acceptable mobility Likely to benefit from treatment Very lame.Treatment urgently required

Record the ID’s of any cows showing Record the ID’s of any cows showing Tally the number of cows signs of Score 2 signs of Score 3

Group 1

Number of cows: Number of cows: Number of cows:

Group 2

Number of cows: Number of cows: Number of cows:

Group 3

Number of cows: Number of cows: Number of cows:

Group 4

Number of cows: Number of cows: Number of cows:

Total cows: % Total cows: % Total cows: %

Mobility index

% of cows in the herd scoring 0 and 1 %

www.dairy.ahdb.org.uk/healthyfeet

43 Produced for you by: AHDB Dairy Stoneleigh Park Kenilworth Warwickshire CV8 2TL T 024 7669 2051 E [email protected] W dairy.ahdb.org.uk @AHDB_Dairy If you no longer wish to receive this information, please email us on [email protected]

While the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board seeks to ensure that the information contained within this document is accurate at the time of printing, no warranty is given in respect thereof and, to the maximum extent permitted by law, the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board accepts no liability for loss, damage or injury howsoever caused (including that caused by negligence) or suffered directly or indirectly in relation to information and opinions contained in or omitted from this document.

Please note this publication has been rebranded not revised, the information was correct at the time of printing in 2017.