Early detection of lameness through automatic activity performance analysis in dairy cows

A herd of 60 Simmental cattle housed in a free stall barn was observed. Various sensors were installed to automatically measure each cow's daily milk yield, feed intake, live weight and activity parameters. The collected data were analyzed with regard to a connection between the parameters and occurring lameness cases. The aim was to find patterns that indicate cases of cows with hoof diseases. On average, cows with hoof diseases showed a significantly lower number of visits to the weighing troughs and a higher total daily feed intake than sound cows. No significant difference in milk yield and live weight was found between lame and healthy cows.