Footbaths on dairy farms in England and Wales
Sumner, J.; Davies, R.C.
Veterinary Record 114(4): 88
1984
ISSN/ISBN: 0042-4900 PMID: 6719813 Document Number: 232978
In a representative sample of almost 5000 dairy farms in England and Wales, visited in early 1980, only 2% had footbaths. Over half the footbaths (56%) had been installed to cure rather than to prevent lameness. Of these 56%, less than a quarter were considered by the farmer to have resolved the problem, but of the 44% intended to prevent lameness more than half were considered effective. In all herd sizes, a problem was recognized if 21% of cows went lame in a year, but 8% of cows lame was not recognized as a problem. Formalin was the preferred disinfectant, used at solution strengths between 1.6 and 4% formaldehyde. Frequency of treatment varied from once a day to less than once every two weeks. Less frequent treatment tended to be associated with a higher rate of lameness, but there was no relationship with the strength of solution. The data support the view that footbathing alone is unlikely to be totally effective in treating a herd lameness problem.