Assessing Lameness in Tied Cows

There is currently no published method for assessment of lameness in tied cows. Although welfare standards may lead to the phasing out of tied systems, there is a need to detect lame cows while these systems exist. The aim of this work, carried out as part of the Welfare Quality® project, was to determine indicators for lameness in tied cows. A list of potential indicators for lameness in tied cows was drawn up, which included rotation of feet, resting a foot, standing on the edge of a step, repeated stepping, and uneven weight bearing between feet when moving sideways in the stall. Two observers then recorded presence or absence of these indicators in 76 tied cows. Relationships between the indicators recorded and the gait score of the cows when released were investigated. The number of indicators recorded increased with the severity of lameness. The optimum combination of sensitivity and specificity of lameness detection in the stall (using gait score as gold standard) was achieved ...