[Prevalence and severity of lameness in early lactation in dairy cows and the effect on reproductive performance].

Objective: To examine the impact of different degrees of lameness on the fertility of dairy cows.

Material And Methods: Seven dairy herds housed in free stall barns with cubicles were visited at 4-week intervals and all cows were examined for locomotion characteristics using a locomotion scoring system. The cows received scores from 1 (normal gait) to 5 (severely lame).