Lameness is a key issue on dairy farms as it impacts profitability, cow health, milk production, reproduction and animal welfare.
Identifying and treating lame cows takes time and skill, draining important resources that could be better used elsewhere.
There are many different factors that cause lameness, and it is a complex issue to fix.
Prevention plans are essential — such as maintaining laneways and yards and ensuring good cow flow through the dairy.
The next step is scoring the herd to measure the success of these plans and identify issues early.
Unfortunately, the prevalence of lameness is often underestimated, and cases treated late lead to decreased productivity and profitability.
Manual scoring is time-consuming, subjective and prone to human error.
Automated scoring methods are more consistent, require less labour, and provide easy access to long-term data.
This is where technology such as GEA’s CattleEye is changing the game.
Using a 2D security camera mounted over the exit race, combined with ID data, CattleEye uses artificial intelligence algorithms to uniquely identify cows and monitor welfare and behaviour.
These insights are analysed through an easy-to-use app or integrated into an existing herd management system.
Beyond lameness detection, CattleEye also provides automated body condition scoring.
This feature helps farmers:
• track nutritional status and energy balance
• adjust feed rations before weight loss impacts milk yield
• improve reproductive performance and overall herd health
By combining lameness and body condition insights, farmers can make proactive decisions that boost productivity and animal welfare.
Farms using the system have experienced a decrease in lameness prevalence and improved herd health thanks to earlier intervention, targeted treatment and more efficient use of labour.