A cow’s mobility is critical for making multiple daily trips to the feed bunk and milking parlor. Lameness, often caused by sore hooves, reduces a cow’s willingness to walk, leading to decreased feeding and milk production. Each case of lameness costs about $336.91, with costs rising by $13.26 for each additional week of lameness. Good barn hygiene, including hoof trimming, alley scraping, and consistent footbaths, is essential for preventing foot rot and digital dermatitis.
To be effective, footbaths should be at least 10 feet long and filled with a 4-inch-deep disinfectant solution. Solid walls and specific footbath dimensions ensure cows walk through the treatment properly. Regular use of footbaths—typically 3 times per week per cow—helps maintain hoof health, and during disease outbreaks, frequency should increase to 4-5 times per week. Effective footbath solutions include copper sulfate, formalin, and zinc sulfate, with copper sulfate offering strong antibacterial properties but posing environmental risks due to copper buildup in soil.
Proper footbath management, including using premix tanks for quick solution changes, helps keep cows mobile, improving overall herd health and reducing frustration for farm employees by lowering lameness cases.
