White line disease and sole bruising can lead to serious lameness issues at this time of the year as cows get back out to grass.

The relatively dry weather over the last week will have seen a lot of cows getting out to grass, and with the mixed bag forecast for the week, they may get to stay out.

However, the torrential rainfall over the last two months may have left roads in a sorrow state, which can lead to lameness, especially in freshly calved cows.

White line disease and sole bruising are the most common non-infectious hoof lesions seen at this time of the year following a period of minimal movement over the winter.

Farmers should be carrying out continuous locomotion scoring to identify lame cows as they push to make a start on spring grazing.

Cows that are constantly lingering at the back of the herd and are last into the milking parlour should be inspected closer to see if there is any underlying lameness issues.

White line disease

White line is the junction where the horn that makes up the hoof wall, growing down from the top, joins with the horn growing from the sole.

This junction is a vulnerable point of weakness on the sole, which can easily get damaged on hard or uneven surfaces like poor roadways at this time of the year.

Once damaged, white line disease can present itself as a gap in the white line of the hoof, commonly occurring towards the heel on the outer claw of the horn of the sole and the horn of the wall.

Early damage appears as bruising, discoloration, or separation. But the longer it is left untreated, grit or stones may get wedged in the area and penetrate sensitive tissues, ultimately leading to inflammation and even production of pus.

Meanwhile, sole bruising is damage of the germinal layer of cells that lie under the sole of the horn.

This condition is more often than not a result of excessive standing on concrete, pushing and shoving cows, poor body condition, and yet again, poor roadway surfaces and long walks.

Prevention and treatment

Cows that are having issues with white line disease should have their hooves trimmed following the Dutch five step method.

Meanwhile, cows with sole bruising should be rested on soft surfaces, such as a lush paddock or in a straw-bedded house.

Any cows suffering from these issues should be moved to once-a-day milking to reduce the amount of walking and help build condition.

They should also be given more concentrates as their ability to meet their dry matter intake requirements can be reduced.

The most important thing with any physical lameness like white line disease or bruising is to give the cows time when they are walking in and out of milking, letting them walk at their own pace.

Make sure not to push or shove cows on roadways with a dog or a quad bike and do not have cows standing in collecting yards before or after milking for any longer than is necessary.

Roadways

After all of the rain, it is well worth the money and time to ensure roadways are in good condition, with a nice flat, even surface for the herd to walk on.

It is also important to ensure the roads are wide enough for the herd to maintain a steady cow flow.

For example, a herd with 150 cows or fewer should have a roadway width of 4.5m, adding an additional 0.5m for every 100 extra cows.

Examine any areas that are easily congested, such as the entrance to the holding yard, bends, or any part of the road which may have a water trough, as these may be areas where cows are prone to damaging their hooves.

These areas may need up to 1m of extra road, with fences back an additional 0.5m on each edge of the road.

Realistically, farm roadways use whatever stone is in the local quarry, but each stone is in fact different on the animals hooves.

Shale is flat, soft and comfortable on cows' hooves; however, it breaks down easily, especially under machinery.

In contrast, limestone is more durable under machinery, but is harder on a cow's hooves.

Sandstone falls in the middle of the two as a fairly durable and relatively comfortable stone.

The problem at this time of the year is whichever stone you do have in can be exposed as the rain washes away the binding, which is usually done with 804 (T1) gravel.

Over the last few years, many farmers have being installing astroturf on laneways to provide extra cushioning to the hooves, especially in traffic-dense areas.