Insights into Lameness in Dairy Cattle: The Role of Body Condition Score and Lactation Dynamics

Lameness is a significant welfare and economic issue in dairy farms, resulting in reduced milk yield, increased treatment costs, and higher culling rates. The present study aimed to investigate the relationships between lameness and animal-level factors including body condition score (BCS), lactation period (LP), and lactation number (LN) in 370 lactating Holstein cows. Lameness and BCS were assessed by observation, while LP and LN were obtained from farm records. Data were analyzed using chi-square and Fisher's-Freeman-Halton exact test to examine relationships between lameness scores and animal-level factors, and logistic regression was performed to reveal risk factors. Chi-square analysis revealed significant associations between lameness scores and both BCS (P = .010) and LN (P = .039), but not with LP (P > 0.05). Consistent with these results, logistic regression identified BCS as a significant predictor (P =.012); cows with a BCS of 4 had 3.72 times higher odds of lameness compared to those with a BCS of 2 (P = .037). Although LN was not significant overall (P = .195), cows in their second lactation showed significantly lower odds of lameness compared to first-lactation cows (P = .045). LP was not a significant predictor in the multivariate model (P = .746). Present findings emphasize the importance of monitoring BCS and LN to reduce lameness risks and improve herd health. Further studies are required to clarify the role of animal level factors in lameness.