Impact of Lameness on the Productivity of Dairy Cattle Farms: a Systematic Review.

Lameness significantly reduces milk yield, reproductive efficiency, and longevity, making proactive prevention essential for dairy farm sustainability.

This systematic review, conducted following PRISMA guidelines, synthesizes evidence from studies published between 2010 and 2025 on the impact of lameness across three key determinants of dairy farm profitability: milk production, reproductive performance, and longevity. Regarding milk yield, lame cows consistently experienced losses ranging from 183 to 1,289 kg per lactation, with severity and timing of lameness influencing magnitude and losses being particularly pronounced in herds using automated milking systems. Effects on milk quality were generally modest, though some studies reported elevated somatic cell counts, suggesting an increased mastitis risk. Reproductive performance was notably impaired: lame cows showed delayed resumption of ovarian cyclicity, reduced estrus expression, lower conception rates, increased embryonic loss, extended calving intervals, and greater numbers of inseminations per pregnancy, though considerable variability existed across studies. Longevity was markedly compromised, with lame cows facing a 1.5–2 times greater culling risk and accounting for up to 27.6% of total culling cases on affected farms. The authors emphasize that enhanced prevention strategies, standardized locomotion scoring methods, and tailored economic evaluation tools are essential to mitigate productivity losses and support the long-term sustainability of dairy systems. Overall, this review reinforces lameness as a multidimensional welfare and economic challenge requiring proactive, systematic management by veterinary and farm teams.

This summary was distilled by AI and may occasionally misinterpret data. Confirm critical details with the primary literature before clinical application.