CattleEye CEO writes on how to transform herd health with AI-powered lameness detection

In this bylined article for Progressive Dairy, CattleEye CEO Terry Canning explores how artificial intelligence is transforming the fight against lameness in dairy herds. He explains why the condition is so often underestimated, the heavy toll it takes on farm profitability and animal welfare, and how AI detection systems are helping farmers spot issues weeks earlier than the human eye. The article first appeared in Progressive Dairy on August 4 2025, link here.

By Terry Canning

Lameness often goes unnoticed despite being one of the most common health issues in dairy herds. AI detection tools help farms catch hoof problems earlier and manage them more effectively.

Lameness affects an average of 20% to 30% of the nation’s dairy herd. Even if you are getting eyes on your cows every day, it is easy to miss a slight limp or subtle change in gait, especially as herd size grows. Many farms underestimate this challenge, thinking only 5% to 10% of their herd is lame, when in reality, it may be closer to 20% to 25%. That’s where artificial intelligence (AI) detection comes in – spotting signs the human eye might overlook.

When not addressed, lameness can take a significant toll on profitability, leading to lower production, reproduction setbacks and growing animal welfare concerns. On average, a single case of lameness costs $336.91, with digital dermatitis (DD) as the leading cause – costing $100 more than the other culprits. For every week a cow remains lame, it costs a farmer $13.26.

Looking at reproduction alone – cows are four times more likely to be bred back within 150 days by reducing lameness. Reducing lameness is a win-win, and AI detection systems make a strong case as a solution to this ongoing challenge.

How it works

AI systems for lameness detection automatically monitor cow mobility in real time using a simple security camera – no collars or pedometers are required.

A standard security camera, mounted over the parlour exit lane, captures video of each cow. Think of it like facial recognition, but for the top of the animal instead. AI algorithms analyse the data points, including back posture, changes in stride, walking speed, head bobbing and movement asymmetry, in the cloud. Then, it generates mobility scores and sends the results directly to your smartphone or herd management system.

After installation, the system takes about seven days to learn to recognise individual cows based on their body shapes and coat patterns. During the first few passes, it uses parlour identification to match cows to their data.

The hardware costs typically $300 to $400 to get started. Once installed, the system should run in the background for about one-two weeks before you begin reviewing insights. After setup, farms pay a per-cow-per-month subscription fee with most of these AI technologies.

One farm’s experience

A Southwestern dairy with 5,000 cows turned to an AI lameness detection system after their veterinarian said they had the worst hoof health of any dairy he worked with. They took this feedback to heart and were determined to improve. Hairy warts and white line disease were their biggest challenges – especially after the summer heat, when temperatures can reach 120ºF.

Before installing the system, they followed all the typical hoof health protocols, including footbaths and routine trimming. The milking staff and cow pushers would sort out lame cows and the hospital staff would trim them and then move them back to their pen. Every cow was also trimmed at dry-off.

Now, with the AI system, this herd manager feels like he has more control over the herd’s health. Today, they trim feet about three days a week. He sorts a list of 20-30 cows based on their lameness score generated by the AI detection system. The data transfers to their herd management software, making it easy to compare cow data in one place.

The data also helps them make decisions on whether a cow should have a longer dry period, as well as culling decisions. For cows with higher lameness, low milk production and more days in milk (DIM), they avoid sending them to the chute and cull them before they become an animal welfare issue.

Here are the most noticeable improvements they’ve seen since adopting the system two years ago:

• The team can work on trimming more cows as they’re sorted into a group versus waiting for individual cows to exit the parlour.
• The software catches issues the human eye misses – allowing for corrective trims before lameness develops.
• They have a faster response to lame cows and fewer severe cases, thanks to earlier detection.
• They’ve seen a significant improvement in hoof health, leading to better milk production, reproduction and longevity.
• Fewer cows are culled due to lameness, and general herd stress is lower.

Overall, this herd manager feels more in control of herd health and animal welfare and is happy to see the rewards in improved milk, reproduction and longevity.

AI systems for lameness detection provide hands-free monitoring of cow mobility using a simple security camera – no collars or pedometers are required. Graphic courtesy of GEA.

The return on investment

Users of AI lameness detection report a significant reduction in herd lameness. The system can identify lame cows up to four weeks earlier than the human eye – helping farms treat problems before they become chronic.

The ability to detect lameness as accurately or even better than a veterinarian is reason enough to see a return. But the greater value lies in its ability to assess every cow at every milking. This continuous monitoring provides more data and greater accuracy than the single-point lameness scoring most farms use today.

Even small improvements make a big difference. Reducing lameness by just 10% across a herd can lead to fewer treatments, fewer culled animals and more cows staying in the herd longer. That translates to more milk in the tank, stronger reproductive performance and less time spent sorting and managing lame cows.

And because the system runs in the background and integrates with your herd management software, you get consistent, trackable results without adding to your team’s workload.

Adding another set of eyes

Managing lameness is one of dairy’s toughest ongoing challenges – but it doesn’t have to be a blind spot. AI detection provides an additional layer of insight, identifying issues earlier and enabling smarter decision-making across your herd.

With improved visibility into cow mobility and clearer trim priorities, you can stay ahead of potential problems and protect productivity, reproduction and animal welfare. If you’re ready to take a more proactive approach, AI is a tool worth exploring.

Apprehensive about AI?

Yes, AI can feel complicated. But it works in the background to make your job easier.

With AI lameness detection, what you see is a simple, easy-to-use list. It shifts how you manage your herd – relying more on the tool and less on your team’s eyes.

Instead of creating trim lists manually, the system automates the process for you and tracks hoof health trends over time, providing a stronger historical view to inform your decisions.

What else can AI monitoring do?

The same lameness monitoring system can also monitor body condition scores (BCS). By automating this task, AI offers a consistent and unbiased way to track BCS without adding extra work.

No additional setup is required because the system uses the same cameras and infrastructure already in place. With BCS insights delivered automatically, you can fine-tune ration formulation and feeding strategies to better manage costs and support milk production. Over time, consistent scoring can also help flag nutritional or reproductive issues earlier.