No matter the type of farm, lameness in livestock can happen at any time without any warning. Lameness can be a significant concern and one of the costliest diseases farmers can deal with. Organic and alternative farms prioritize animal welfare, natural living conditions, and minimize the use of chemicals and antibiotics, which can present unique challenges for managing livestock
Lameness occurs when an animal has a leg or foot pain or injury that affects how they move. Lameness is an animal health and welfare concern and can limit their productive capacity. If an animal is in pain, they may be reluctant to eat or drink, limiting growth. Causes of lameness can be different between livestock species.
What Does Lameness Look Like
Lameness can be challenging to identify and will look different depending on the animal. Looking over your animals often is important to be able to monitor changes in gait and animal comfort.
Signs of lameness include:
- Head bobbing or nodding when an animal moves
- The arch of the back or spine when moving
- The stride length is shortened
- The animal puts more weight on one side
- The animal keeps one leg or foot lifted when standing to avoid putting weight on it
- Walking is slowed or jagged
- There are frequent stops in animal movement
- The animal will struggle to rise
Causes of Lameness
While each species may be susceptible to different types of lameness or different diseases, there can be similar causes between the types of lameness.
- Nutritional deficiencies: Smaller farms, or organic or alternative farms, may have decreased access to feed additives or supplements, such as deficiencies in essential nutrients. Common deficiencies that affect lameness include biotin, zinc, and Vitamin E. Sub-acute ruminal acidosis (SARA) can weaken the hoof tissue, predisposing livestock to lameness.
- Infectious diseases: Conditions such as foot rot, digital dermatitis, and other bacterial infections are common causes of lameness. Diseases spread could be greater in systems that restrict the use of antibiotics.
- Management: There are many lameness risk factors related to management. High-intensity handling can cause injury, leading to lameness. Long trailer rides or rough transport can also increase the risk of lameness. If animals are in heat or in challenging group dynamics, they may be more prone to injury due to mounting, bullying, or slipping.
- Environment: The livestock environment plays a significant role in lameness risk. Keeping pens clean and dry is important to reducing lameness risk. The flooring that animals are on can also affect lameness. If inside, floors should be well-grooved to prevent slips and slightly slanted to move water out of pens. Weather and season also play a role, with increased humidity and moisture or ice and mud, all of which can increase slip risk or create ideal conditions for disease spread.
- Animal factors: The stage of animal production, such as the calving/lambing/kidding/farrowing period, can increase the likelihood of lameness issues. As an animal ages, they are also at higher risk of lameness. Other factors such as behavior, and genetics can impact lameness.
Assessing Lameness
Each livestock sector can assess lameness differently, but anything that affects an animal’s comfort or ability to move should be taken seriously. Examining the animal is most important to determine if it is an injury or disease and to get at the root cause of the problem. In cattle, locomotion is evaluated on a five-point scale for dairy cattle and a three-point scale for beef cattle. Evaluating your herd using locomotion scoring can be an effective tool to measure lameness throughout the year and in different age groups. It is also important to keep accurate records of lameness. If lameness is so severe that an animal is unable to stand or walk, humane euthanasia should be considered with your veterinarian.
Preventing Lameness
When managing your herd, a goal should be to minimize lameness events. If animals are kept on pasture, your livestock should be rotationally grazed and kept on dry areas. Avoid overstocking pens. Regular hoof trimming and inspections are essential to hoof health. Using foot baths or homeopathic treatments can also prevent and treat infections. Proper nutrition and ensuring adequate minerals and vitamins is very important, especially for animals on pasture. Make sure not to overstock your animals, and group them by age to reduce bullying-like behaviors by animals of different ages.
Managing livestock lameness on organic and alternative farms requires care and attention to all areas of the farm. Keep animal welfare at the top of the list, keeping your animals as comfortable as possible. While there are limited treatment options and increased labor demands, committing to humane practices offers significant benefits for your farm’s and animals’ sustainability. Contact your veterinarian for assistance if you are dealing with a challenging lameness issue.
Additional Resources:
Zinpro: Swine Lameness Prevention
Zinpro: Locomotion Scoring Helps Catch Lameness Problems Early
MSU: Foot rot in sheep and goats
Zoetis: Lameness and other foot problems