Effect of the Year, Season and Animal Category on the Incidence of Lame Cows under Grazing Conditions in Uruguay

Year, seasonal and animal category effects on the incidence and type of lameness were investigated in a dairy herd of 900 cows in Uruguay during 4 consecutive years. There was a significant effect of the year and season on the incidence of lameness, being the year with more rain the one with more lameness. Lameness increased in autumn, and was maintained until spring, depending on the humidity of each year. The most important pathologies in the dairy farm were the interdigital dermatitis which was more frequent in the rainy year and the worn sole incidence was very constant among ...