Short term effect of treating claw horn lesions in dairy cattle on their locomotion, activity and milk yield

Abstract

The immediate effect on dairy cow mobility, daily activity and milk yield following treatment for claw horn disease was examined in 306 lame cows located on four Cheshire dairy farms over twelve months. The daily activity and milk yield of all cows in these herds was recorded on computer using pedometers and in-parlour milk flow meters. Lame cows identified by stockmen were assessed subjectively by locomotion score, then restrained and their claws examined to identify the predominant lesion present. Those with locomotion scores ≥2.5 that presented with sole ulcer, haemorrhage and bruising, or white line disease were studied. Claws of the affected limb were trimmed by one paraprofessional claw trimmer using the five-step Dutch method and the affected claw unloaded either by trimming or application of a block to the healthy digit: those on the contra-lateral limb were trimmed similarly. The same observer repeated the locomotion score assessment seven days later: trimming reduced the proportion of lame cows (score ≥3) by 55% and those with poor gait (score ≤3 ≥2.5) by 49%, and the proportion of all cows not lame after trimming was 51% (χ 2 4.94: P≤0.001). Night time activity levels increased from 76 to 81 steps/hour on day 2 after treatment (P<0.05) but this was not maintained: daily milk yields fell by 2%. Using univariate mixed models, year and season, parity and farm all had significant effects on locomotion and activity levels. This treatment for claw horn disease in lame dairy cows improved their immediate health and welfare.

Genetic improvement of resilience in dairy cattle using longitudinal data

“…Moreover, cows encounter many more disturbances than only diseases, and resilience to those disturbances is important too. Milk yield has for example been shown to be sensitive to heat stress (Kadzere et al, 2002;Garner et al, 2016;Corazzin et al, 2020), stress of relocation and movement between groups (Varner et al, 1983;Hasegawa et al, 1997;Broucek et al, 2015), stress of transport (Yagi et al, 2004), hoof trimming (Pesenhofer et al, 2006;Montgomery et al, 2012;Janßen et al, 2016) and nutritional challenges (Nielsen et al, 2007;Codrea et al, 2011). Selection for lower LnVar and rauto is likely to improve resilience to such disturbances.…”