Cost of Lameness

Posted by Dairy Exporter on 30 April 2004 | 3 Comments

Lameness is a huge problem in the dairy industry and, while there is much discussion about its causes and prevention, it continues to increase in incidence and cost every year. If farmers added up the cost of lameness they could find it is tens of thousands of dollars every year.

A recent Dairy Insight study based on 342 farms in Southland, North Otago, and Canterbury has unveiled some staggering figures.

It found on average:

• 10% of the herd was lame some time during the season
• Loss of income in Southland was $58,272/farm or $1,264/cow
• Loss of income in Canterbury was $45,408/farm or $841/cow
• Larger farms with higher rates of lameness the loss of income could be well over $100,000.

This is through:

• Milk Production losses (av. drop 225kg MS/cow)
• Extra labour (estimated 1.8hrs/lame cow)
• Lost fertility due to poorer in calf rates (64% drop in in-calf rates)
• Culled cows (lame cows are 14.69% more likely to be culled)
• Treatment costs.