Summertime lameness - Dealing with sole lesions

The longer summer evenings bring longer walks to paddocks, and after an extended spring inside, it has been a recipe for disaster for hoof health on our farm, writes farm vet Hazell Mullins.

cow hoof

This is my first article as a married woman, and the week before my wedding, I was plagued with lame cows in the herd. And I can tell you, I would take the stress of the wedding over the stress of looking at lame cows any day.

Lameness is one of the biggest welfare issues in the modern dairy cow; bigger herds mean longer walks, and unfortunately, winter housing means lots of standing on concrete, which is not feet-friendly for a 600kg dairy cow.