Third of North’s herds have lameness problems

A recent survey of 6,000 cows in Northern Ireland by AHBI at Hillsborough concluded that one third of all Northern Ireland herds had lameness problems, costing over €250 per case of lameness.

This is higher than indicated in Republic of Ireland research reports, but we still have a serious lameness problem in this part of the country.

There are four main lameness diseases of dairy cows, namely sole ulcers, digital dermatitis (Mortellaro), laminitis and foul of the foot.