Preventing mobility issues is a whole-herd challenge (May 25)

Neogen’s Rob Hall and Zinpro’s Huw McConochie consider some of the actions that can be taken to build whole-herd resilience to mobility issues.

TEXT PHIL EADES

While treatment for lameness is an individual-cow issue, prevention of mobility issues and compromised foot health is predominantly a herd-level concern. Whole-herd actions taken to reduce the incidence of lameness will have a significant impact in reducing individual-cow problems.

Breeding is just one of many ways that producers can improve herd mobility. It can play a significant role in improving hoof health, with indices for several positive attributes of legs and feet being available for many years. With this in mind, it’s not surprising that the Stride survey, carried out in 2024, confirmed that mobility continues to be a recognised breeding objective for many producers and their herds.

The results revealed that 32% of respondents said they always consider legs, feet and locomotion traits when selecting sires for breeding dairy replacements, while 33% said they often include them. But other traits, such as £PLI and milk constituents, are often prioritised. The survey showed less attention was paid to female selection, with less than 30% of respondents genomically testing the herd, despite data showing that it can help to underpin breeding for better feet and legs.

“Genetic selection can significantly decrease the occurrence of lameness,” says Neogen’s Rob Hall. “The Lameness Advantage (LA) Index is a powerful tool for selecting sires that will produce daughters with improved lameness resistance. Some cows are naturally more resilient to lameness-causing factors, and genetic testing helps to identify these animals for breeding.”

Balanced approach

He adds that a balanced approach that considers other key traits, including milk production and fertility, is essential for overall herd improvement, and stresses that £PLI (Profitable Lifetime Index) also includes Lameness Advantage.

“Genomic testing reveals specific genetic information that can be used to make informed decisions about breeding, health management, and more. It will identify the best animals to breed replacements from and inform sire selection, making it an efficient way to increase overall profitability.

“Genomic tests pinpoint specific genes and genetic markers associated with increased susceptibility to lameness, allowing producers to identify at-risk animals before they develop problems,” says Mr Hall. “Genomic information allows for more accurate selection of breeding animals compared to traditional methods. This accelerates genetic progress towards lameness resistance,” he adds.

“Breeding for reduced lameness improves overall herd health and welfare because lameness is a painful and debilitating condition. This approach can help to reduce the costs associated with poor mobility.” The Stride survey also highlighted that dry and transition cows are often seen as a lower priority than milking cows when mobility is considered. But they require just as close attention.

The transition period is a critical stage in the dairy cow’s production cycle. At and around calving there are anatomical changes to the hoof that can predispose cows to mobility issues. Cows that transition poorly are at greater risk of developing hoof lesions later in lactation.

Transition period

“Many incidences of poor mobility or compromised foot health in the first 10 weeks of lactation will have their origins in the transition period, so producers should use records to understand the extent of the problem,” explains Zinpro’s Huw McConochie.

“If cows are going to transition well, they need to be sound on their feet. Once a cow goes even slightly lame, she can experience a substantial cascade into problems largely linked to reduced dry matter intakes,” he adds. Reduced dry matter intakes (DMIs) during the dry and transition periods and will tend to see cows losing excessive weight in early lactation, and this is a key characteristic of those that go on to have an increased incidence of transition diseases.

“If cows are kept sound on their feet they will eat more, lie comfortably for longer periods and have good rumination, produce more milk and have better reproductive success,” says Dr McConochie. “The return on investment in lameness prevention in the transition period can be considerable.”

Improving transition-cow mobility begins in the previous lactation, and the primary goal is to ensure that all cows are sound on their feet when they are dried off. This can only be achieved by focusing on identifying cows with mobility score 2+ at least one month before drying off so they can be enrolled on an intensive treatment therapy programme.

“All cows should receive a routine functional trim at the point of drying off and should continue to be footbathed while dry,” he stresses.

Transition-cow housing design can also impact the risk of foot problems occurring, so it will pay to assess how dry cows are housed. “Minimise the number of group changes and ensure the diet is balanced for energy and also trace minerals,” he adds.

Dr McConochie emphasises that strong, robust hoof horn is essential to help cows remain sound on their feet. Ensuring cows develop high-quality horn is key to maintaining hoof health and improving mobility. Hoof horn requires continuous renewal to uphold its functionality with wellbeing and nutrition playing a vital role in achieving this.

Nutrient deficiencies

“Both short-term and prolonged deficiencies in nutrients can have a significant impact on the quality and health of horn tissue,” he says. “Under normal circumstances, horn tissue typically grows at a rate of approximately 5mm per month, but if cows are in negative energy balance horn growth slows to a near standstill.

“Metabolic diseases will also affect horn quality,” he adds. “Any metabolic disease will increase inflammation, which will increase the risk of foot lesions. From a nutritional standpoint, it’s essential to ensure cows do not enter the drying-off phase in too high body condition and they must maintain a stable BCS through to early lactation.” Minerals play a central role when it comes to hoofhorn strength. Zinc, copper, biotin and manganese play important roles in maintaining the structural integrity of horn tissue, and the Stride survey showed the addition of zinc and biotin, in particular, to rations is adopted by nearly 40% of respondents.

“The availability of these trace minerals during the post-fresh period is particularly important,” says Dr McConochie. “It is also essential to ensure adequate mineral supplementation in the dry period as this offers an opportunity for healing and recuperation from the preceding lactation.

“Ensuring diets are formulated to contain sufficient levels of highly bioavailable minerals will help to improve hoof quality and maintain better mobility,” he concludes.

To download the Stride Factsheet and to register to receive other factsheets in the series go to www.stridemobility.co.uk.