British Cattle Veterinary Association

Lameness is currently one of the biggest health and welfare problems facing the UK dairy industry. This paper describes how the lameness dynamics in a herd can be monitored through comparisons with methods used in somatic cell count data analysis. Estimated costs of lameness are updated through provisional results based on the impact of serial mobility score data on milk production. These tools enable the use of mobility score data in cost benefit analysis as a driver for the implementation of lameness control plans and their subsequent monitoring.