
South Solon, OH
Feet in the Clouds
Lameness (sore feet or legs) continues to be one the most common challenges to cow health and comfort. Globally, 25% of dairy cows are lame! Combining everyday security cameras with machine learning, Kinder Ground is helping this farm test a new way to identify lame cows and apply the information to implement preventive strategies.

The Goal:
Improve Hoof Health
Funding provided: $2,313
We know farmers tend to underestimate the amount of lameness in their herd and may not identify cows early enough to prevent long term damage to the hoof. Based on previous animal welfare audits this farm had an estimated lameness prevalence around 20%.
This farm is a firm believer that cow longevity matters and is critical to the sustainability of the business. They understand that good welfare and healthy feet are essential to cow longevity. They had hired an experienced hoof trimmer as an assistant herd manager and wanted to find a way to make the most of his passion for happy feet.
The Outcomes:
Can machine learning keep cow’s feet healthy?
Machine learning and other forms of technology hold great promise in helping us improve welfare. This project is ongoing, but we have learned a lot already.
What Farmers Are Saying
“What I like most about the Kinder ground initiative is that the people you work with are from the industry itself so they understand very well the practical implications of a project. So when a new innovation or project takes more hours or effort to make it work then so be it. Having Kinder Ground support the trial really helped out. Most dairies are hesitant to try something new when there is a extra cost up front.”
- Teun, Dairy Farmer, Ohio

A simple and inexpensive camera is mounted above each parlor exit lane to capture every cow as they return to their pen after milking. Machine learning identifies each cow and evaluates her mobility, and allows deep dives to gain better insights.

