| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
|
|
|
|||||||
|
|||||||||
,1
* Especialidad de Ganadería, Colegio de Postgraduados, Montecillos, Texcoco, Mexico 56230
Animal Welfare Program, Faculty of Food and Land Systems, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Pacific Agri-Food Research Centre, PO Box 1000, Agassiz, British Columbia, Canada V0M 1AO
1 Corresponding author: danweary{at}interchange.ubc.ca
This study tested whether providing cows a 4-wk period on pasture would improve gait and change lying behavior. Eighteen groups, each of 4 lactating Holstein cows initially housed in a freestall barn, were assigned to either continued housing in the same freestall barn, or moved to pasture to provide changes in both physical environment and diet. To assess lameness, gait scores (1 to 5) were recorded weekly for 4 wk. Gait improved by an average of 0.22 units/wk for those cows kept on pasture. We also recorded 4 specific gait attributes (head bob, back arch, tracking up, and reluctance to bear weight evenly on all 4 hooves), and found that the latter 2 attributes also improved during the pasture period. Improved gait for cows on pasture was not because of increased lying times. Cows on pasture actually spent less time lying down than cows kept indoors (10.9 vs. 12.3 h/d), although this lying time was spread over a larger number of bouts (15.3 vs. 12.2 bouts). Cows housed on pasture also lost more weight and produced less milk relative to cows in freestalls, likely because of reduced nutrient intake. These results indicate that a period on pasture can be used to help lame cattle recover probably because pasture provides a more comfortable surface upon which cows stand, helping them to recover from hoof and leg injuries.
Key Words: gait score • lameness • housing • behavior
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  S. Dippel, M. Dolezal, C. Brenninkmeyer, J. Brinkmann, S. March, U. Knierim, and C. Winckler Risk factors for lameness in freestall-housed dairy cows across two breeds, farming systems, and countries J Dairy Sci, November 1, 2009; 92(11): 5476 - 5486. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. A. Fregonesi, M. A. G. von Keyserlingk, and D. M. Weary Cow preference and usage of free stalls compared with an open pack area J Dairy Sci, November 1, 2009; 92(11): 5497 - 5502. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. A. G. von Keyserlingk, J. Rushen, A. M. de Passille, and D. M. Weary Invited review: The welfare of dairy cattle--Key concepts and the role of science J Dairy Sci, September 1, 2009; 92(9): 4101 - 4111. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
K. K. M. O'Driscoll, M. M. Schutz, A. C. Lossie, and S. D. Eicher The effect of floor surface on dairy cow immune function and locomotion score J Dairy Sci, September 1, 2009; 92(9): 4249 - 4261. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
A. L. Legrand, M. A. G. von Keyserlingk, and D. M. Weary Preference and usage of pasture versus free-stall housing by lactating dairy cattle J Dairy Sci, August 1, 2009; 92(8): 3651 - 3658. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
F. Bernardi, J. Fregonesi, C. Winckler, D. M. Veira, M. A. G. von Keyserlingk, and D. M. Weary The stall-design paradox: Neck rails increase lameness but improve udder and stall hygiene J Dairy Sci, July 1, 2009; 92(7): 3074 - 3080. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
F. C. Flower, M. Sedlbauer, E. Carter, M. A. G. von Keyserlingk, D. J. Sanderson, and D. M. Weary Analgesics Improve the Gait of Lame Dairy Cattle J Dairy Sci, August 1, 2008; 91(8): 3010 - 3014. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
K. O'Driscoll, L. Boyle, P. French, and A. Hanlon The Effect of Out-Wintering Pad Design on Hoof Health and Locomotion Score of Dairy Cows J Dairy Sci, February 1, 2008; 91(2): 544 - 553. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
