Mobility Matters: Managing Lameness for Health and Performance
Lameness in feedlot cattle is a significant health and economic concern, affecting not only animal welfare but also producer. The costs associated with lameness accumulate from reduced performance, increased treatment expenses, and a rise in premature slaughter or salvage sales.
Economic Burden of Lameness
Lameness accounts for approximately 16% of all morbidities among feedlot cattle and up to 70% of the revenue losses related to premature slaughter, as many animals affected by chronic injury or persistent lameness are salvaged at a lower price.
According to decision tree models, healthy feedlot cattle have a net return of approximately $690 per animal, but this drops sharply in the presence of lameness. For example, cattle treated for foot rot return about $568, while those suffering from injuries see returns plummeting to $259. Joint infections and chronic cases of lameness with no visible swelling can result in negative net returns of –$286 and –$701, respectively.
Treatment costs themselves average $11–25 per case, but the main losses come from reduced average daily gain (ADG), extended days on feed (DOF), and downgrading at market. Data from Davis-Unger et al. (2017) support these figures, emphasizing that animals with lighter arrival weights and severe lameness experience the greatest economic setbacks due to poor weight gain and performance losses.
Performance, Disease, and Welfare
Lameness negatively affects animal health by impairing mobility, which reduces feed and water intake and leads to significant performance losses. Estimates indicate ADG reductions between 0.11 and 0.17 kg/d depending on severity and animal type. Davis-Unger et al. (2017) further underline that lameness is a leading reason for premature culling and death in feedlots, with mortality risks rising in chronically lame animals.
Health-focused interventions can lead to dramatic reductions in disease-related losses: one herd implementing a targeted nutrition program feeding one of our products achieved savings by reducing disease incidence—including lameness. It resulted in a 95% reduction in lameness when compared to the control farm. Saving $18,144 in disease related costs over 1000 head.
Prevention, Management, and Return on Investment
Early intervention, facility management, and nutritional strategies can substantially reduce lameness prevalence and associated costs. Davis-Unger et al. (2017) recommend regular health surveillance, immediate response to early signs, and maintaining optimal pen hygiene as cost-effective approaches. On-farm evidence demonstrates that robust health management can yield returns of 7:1 or greater compared to baseline disease-related losses.
Conclusion
Lameness in feedlot cattle represents a major drain on feedlot profitability—potentially reducing net returns by hundreds of dollars per animal. Integrating targeted nutrition, strong surveillance, rapid treatment, and improved management practices significantly curtails these losses, benefiting both the bottom line and the well-being of cattle across all feedlot operations.
Written by: Mariah Gull, M.S.