Experts’ Opinion on Lameness in Iranian Dairy Herds: A Qualitative Study

Lameness is one of the most serious issues in the dairy industry; it has severe effects on animal economics and welfare. Lameness is a multifactorial condition with a wide range of risk factors on the herd and cow levels. The aim of this study was to determine the responsible factors using expert clinicians’ opinions across the country. Eighteen experts agreed to participate, and 13 of them (response rate = 72%) completed the questionnaire. The highest agreement among the experts for the prevention factor was "increasing the resting time of the cows and their comfort", to which eight assigned a score of 5. According to the experts ’opinions freestall design, flooring and alleys, nutrition, stocking density, incorrect hoof trimming, infectious lesions, and insufficient resting time are the most important determinants of lameness prevalence.