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* Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Engineering (IMAG), Mansholtlaan 10-12, PO Box 43, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands
Department of Farm Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 7, PO Box 80151, 3508 TD Utrecht, The Netherlands
Wageningen Institute of Animal Sciences, Wageningen University, Marijkeweg 40, PO Box 338, 6700 AH Wageningen, The Netherlands
Corresponding author:
J. G. C. J. Somers; e-mail:
joan.somers{at}wur.nl.
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ABSTRACT |
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 TOP ABSTRACT INTRODUCTIONMATERIALS AND METHODSRESULTS AND DISCUSSIONCONCLUSIONSACKNOWLEDGEMENTSREFERENCES |
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Key Words: claw disorder • epidemiology • floor system • lameness
Abbreviation key: DD = digital dermatitis, H-study = housing study, HYP = interdigital hyperplasia, IDHE = interdigital dermatitis/heel erosion, IP = interdigital phlegmon, OR = odds ratio, P-study = pasture study, P/H-study = merged pasture and housing study, SCF = solid concrete floor, SH = sole hemorrhages, SL = slatted floor, SL-SCR = slatted floor with manure scraper, SOC = solar contusion, SUL = sole ulcer, SY = straw yard, WLA = white line abscess, WLS = white line separation, ZG = zero-grazing
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INTRODUCTION |
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TOPABSTRACTINTRODUCTIONMATERIALS AND METHODSRESULTS AND DISCUSSIONCONCLUSIONSACKNOWLEDGEMENTSREFERENCES |
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Lameness is characterized as a multifactorial condition. It is the result of an interaction between housing design, farm management, nutrition, and animal characteristics (Clarkson et al., 1993). Because lameness incidence is higher in the winter period when cows are housed indoors compared to periods when animals have access to pasture (Leaver, 1988; Faye and Lescourret, 1989; Webster, 1995), it is obvious that the housing environment has a large impact. Floors are hypothesized as a crucial factor in locomotion and claw health (Albright, 1995).
Several studies have evaluated the incidence of lameness under different housing and flooring circumstances. Concrete flooring, characterized as abrasive and unyielding, and uncomfortable stalls have been associated with a higher incidence of lameness (Vokey et al., 2001). A direct relationship between housing conditions and several digital disorders has been shown experimentally (Bergsten, 1995; Vermunt and Greenough, 1996). Frequently, it has been reported that loose cubicle housing increases the incidence of lameness compared with tied housing (Maton, 1987; Thysen, 1987; Faye and Lescourret, 1989; Clarkson et al., 1993; Hultgren, 2002). Epidemiological studies in The Netherlands (Frankena et al., 1991) and in France (Faye and Lescourret, 1989) revealed that claw health was worse during indoor cubicle housing than during pasturing. Following those findings, the effect of all year round indoor cattle housing on hoof health was investigated in zero-grazing herds. Several claw disorders appeared to be more prevalent under zero-grazing circumstances in Dutch dairy farms (Smits et al., 1992). Zero-grazed cattle in small-scale Kenyan herds had a three times higher risk for a lameness event than cattle that had access to pastures (Gitau et al., 1996). These lameness surveys underline the seriousness of hoof problems resulting from modern dairy housing facilities.
Given the incidence of claw and lameness problems on traditional concrete flooring, the possibilities of softer, more natural flooring properties in livestock housing have also been investigated. Beneficial effects of deep litter straw-based systems have been suggested from an animal welfare point of view (ADAS, 1994; Singh et al., 1994). Indeed, better claw health was found in beef cattle (Maton, 1987; Murphy et al., 1987) and in dairy calves (Frankena et al., 1993) kept in straw yards rather than on slatted floors. But to what extent the same applies for dairy cattle housed in straw yard systems is unclear.
In a recent study aimed at welfare assessment, Fregonesi (1999) showed that dairy cows had a clear preference for standing on a soft surface such as that in straw yard systems rather than on a concrete floor, as in cubicle housing systems. In contrast, no significant differences in hoof dimensions, locomotion score, or clinical lameness were found between those two housing systems (Fregonesi and Leaver, 2000). Hughes et al. (1997) reported a significant reduction in incidence and prevalence of lameness in a three herd study after changing from cubicle housing to straw yards. Both positive (reduction in sole and white line hemorrhages) and negative effects (increase in heel horn erosion) on claw health were found in an experimental study in heifers transferred from cubicle yards into straw yards (Livesey et al., 1998).
The design of livestock housing widely differs in many parts over the world. Cubicle housing system with a concrete floor is the predominant housing type for dairy cattle in The Netherlands. Approximately 90% of the dairy cows are kept in cubicle houses with a slatted floor (Braam and Swierstra, 1997), while about 10% are kept on solid concrete floors with scraper. A very small percentage of cows are housed in tie stalls or straw yard systems. In recent years, two trends are apparent in modern Dutch dairy production. First, through the introduction of robotic milking, more stringent manure legislation, and cost price reduction, an increasing number of dairy cattle are being housed indoors throughout the year. Second, a more extensive organic farming system is developing in which cows are often housed in a straw yard.
Lowering the prevalence of claw disorders and lameness incidents in current housing systems requires more insight into the floor factors that are involved. The urgency of research is increased by the mentioned developments in housing intensity and design. The objectives of this study are (1) to investigate prevalence and severity of claw disorders at subclinical level in a large sample of the Dutch dairy cattle population and (2) to assess the effect of various flooring systems on that prevalence.
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MATERIALS AND METHODS |
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TOPABSTRACTINTRODUCTIONMATERIALS AND METHODSRESULTS AND DISCUSSIONCONCLUSIONSACKNOWLEDGEMENTSREFERENCES |
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Herds involved in the study were selected from lists of clients of Agricultural Consultancy Service (DLV), Agricultural Farm Service (ABV), and local professional hoof trimmers. Farms with either a slatted floor (SL), slatted floor with manure scraper (SL-SCR), solid concrete floor (SCF, always with manure scraper), or a SY loose housing system, with or without a small concrete walking area behind the feeding rack, were included. In addition to the floor system, other selection criteria were: herd size > 25 cows, herd milk yield > 7000 kg/cow/yr, member of the Dutch herdbook milk recording system (Royal Dutch Dairy Syndicate, NRS), and routine herd hoof trimming twice a year. Herds kept on concrete floor systems (SL, SL-SCR, SCF) were primarily pure Holstein and Holstein crossbreeds. In SY herds, besides Holstein breeds, other breeds were found, such as Dutch Friesian, Jersey, and Mont Beliardes.
Most herds in this study had access to pasture in the summer season. Some farms (n = 13), however, had housed their cows indoors all year round. These zero-grazing (ZG) herds were analyzed separately as a distinctive farming system. Ten ZG herds had a SL, two had a SCF, and one had a SL-SCR. In general, SY farms are characterized by a less intensive management than conventional dairy farms, resulting in herd milk yield < 7000 kg/cow per year in nine out of the 16 SY study farms, and no herd hoof trimming has been done routinely twice a year in most study SY herds (except for one herd); eight SY farms trimmed once a year, while seven other SY farms had not trimmed their herds for at least 5 yr. Although short of the selection criteria, the SY farms were included in the study because of their interesting floor system from a claw health point of view.
Claw health records of 3078 cows (49 herds), 3190 cows (47 herds), and 638 cows (16 herds) in the P-, H- and P/H-study, respectively, were used for descriptive analysis. The distribution of P-, H-, and P/H-study population within each floor system, as well as distributions of parity, stage of lactation and 305-d herd production are shown in Table 1
. Herd level and individual level milking information were obtained from computerized milking records
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Hooves of hind legs of each animal were examined for the presence and severance of claw disorders. Interdigital dermatitis (ID) and its resulting symptom heel horn erosion (HE) were diagnosed together as IDHE. IDHE was rated on a scale of 0 to 3, based on the definitions of Peterse (1980): 0, no signs; 1, slight pock marking and/or superficial horn defects in the axial surface of the bulb; 2, some big fissures or grooves in the horn of the bulb and/or sole, not extending to the corium; 3, disappearance of heel horn and/or deep defects in the horn of bulb or sole, extending to the corium.
Diagnosis of lesions of digital dermatitis (DD) was based on the classification developed by Döpfer (1994). Digital dermatitis is synonymous with PPD (papillomatous digital dermatitis), a name recently introduced in North America (Read and Walker, 1998). In our study, the presence of active, classical ulcerative lesions, characterized by a red, granular, strawberry-like surface (Read et al., 1992) and classified by Döpfer as disease stage M1 and M2, were recorded. Other clinical signs associated with M1 and M2 were pain reactivity after palpation, foul odor, and swelling at the affected site. M1 (= DD grade 1) is defined as an early stage of DD with a circumscribed granulomatous area, 0.5 to 2 cm in diameter. A circumscribed classical ulceration area more than 2 cm in diameter, and two or more (smaller) affected spots within the same claw have been classified as M2 (= DD grade 2).
In the case of scoring sole hemorrhages (SH), the surface of each claw was divided into six zones according to recommendations established on the VIth Symposium on Diseases of the Ruminant Digit (Liverpool, 1990). Zones 1, 2, and 3 made up the white line, zones 4 and 5 the sole, and zone 6 the heel. The severity of SH was evaluated for each of the six zones by density and extent of the hemorrhage, based on the method proposed by Greenough and Vermunt (1991): 0, no or slight yellow discoloration; 1, slight red discoloration, occurring in stripes or small spots; 2, moderate hemorrhage; 3, severe hemorrhage; 4, exposed corium/sole ulcer.
Ulcerations in zones 4 (sole ulcer), 5 (toe ulcer), and 6 (heel ulcer) were combined and reclassified as sole ulcer (SUL). An earlier stage of ulceration, when the corium was not exposed, was scored as solar contusion (SOC). An early stage of white line disease (zones 1, 2, and 3) was characterized as white line separation (WLS). White line abscess (WLA) was defined as an advanced stage of white line disease, when a white line separation has progressed to the level of the corium resulting in abscess formation. The disorders interdigital hyperplasia (HYP) and interdigital phlegmon (IP) were diagnosed as being present (1) or not (0).
Data Analyses
All data analyses were performed using the statistical packages SAS (1996) and SPSS (2002). Claw health was assessed in terms of prevalence rates for all claw disorders (except IP). Prevalence rate was calculated as the proportion of animals with the outcome of a given claw disorder. For each claw disorder, the highest score within any hind claw was set as the final outcome for the cow. In addition to cow level prevalence, herd prevalence rates were calculated for IDHE, DD, and SH (as being most frequent disorders).
Associations between floor system and the occurrence of a specific claw disorder were estimated using a binomial distribution and a logistic link function (logistic regression) in PROC GENMOD of SAS. Polytomous variables (e.g., IDHE, DD, SH) were reduced into dichotomous outcomes (i.e., a cow was positive or negative for a certain claw disorder at the time of observation). When analyzing IDHE, we distinguished slight, superficial IDHE from serious and severe IDHE lesions. A cow was scored IDHE-positive when she had IDHE lesions grade 2 or 3; superficial IDHE (grade 1) was assumed as IDHE-negative. Scores for DD and SH were dichotomized as follows: DD grade 1 and 2, and SH grade 1, 2, 3, and 4 were assumed as DD- and SH-positive, respectively. Cows within one herd are all exposed to the same environmental circumstances and, subsequently, cannot be considered as independent units in the analysis. Therefore, the standard errors of the regression coefficients were scaled by a factor equal to the square root of the reciprocal of the Pearson chi-square, which takes the dependence into account and will result in increased P values.
Odds ratios (OR) were calculated, indicating the estimated risk for the outcome of a claw disorder at a certain floor system, relative to the estimated risk at the reference floor system (OR = 1). SL was set as reference floor system, since it is the predominant floor system for dairy cattle in The Netherlands. Associated P values were calculated to test whether or not odds of claw disorders differ significantly between SL and other floor systems (SL-SCR, SCF, ZG, and SY). The differences in mean herd prevalence rates between the P-, H-, and P/H-study were tested using the Kruskal-Wallis one-way ANOVA on ranks (
= 0.05). The Mann-Whitney U test was performed to analyze differences in prevalence rates of ZG cows in the H-study. The Wilcoxon Signed Ranks test was used to examine seasonal differences in prevalence rates of ZG cows that were present in both the P- and H-study. For all analyses, differences were considered significant when P 
0.05.
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RESULTS AND DISCUSSION |
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TOPABSTRACTINTRODUCTIONMATERIALS AND METHODSRESULTS AND DISCUSSIONCONCLUSIONSACKNOWLEDGEMENTSREFERENCES |
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In SY herds, both median herd size (46 cows) and average 305-d herd yield (6710 kg) were lower than those in the milk recording population. As mentioned before, high-milk-yield dairy cows are at higher risk for lameness events at both clinical and sublinical level. In addition to lower herd size and herd milk yield, SY herds have also a lower percentage of Holstein-Friesian cattle in favor of less lameness-susceptible breeds such as Mont-Beliardes and Jersey (Peterse, 1985). Besides the possible benefit of a soft floor surface, lower prevalence rates in SY herds may be partially explained by bias due to such negatively associated factors.
Cow Level Prevalence
Claw disorders per cow.
The majority of cows had claw disorders at subclinical level. Within cows exposed to concrete flooring (SL, SL-SCR, SCF, and ZG), 78% in the P-study and 81% in the H-study had at least one claw disorder (based on dichotomous outcomes, i.e., IDHE grade 1 = IDHE-negative) at the time of hoof trimming (Figure 1). Many cows showed one or two claw disorders in both the P- (36.2 and 26.2%, respectively) and H-study (36.8 and 28.7%, respectively). Approximately 4% of the cows exposed to concrete flooring in the P-study and 2.9% in the H-study had four or more claw disorders. Compared with concrete flooring, the number of claw disorders per cow was considerably lower on SY farms where 42.5% of the cows were free of any claw disorder at the time of observation. About 40% of the SY cows showed one claw disorder, whereas the remainder had two (14.7%) or three (2.2%) claw disorders.
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shows the original ordinally scored cow level prevalence rates for IDHE, DD, and SH observed on different floor systems. IDHE was the most frequent disorder, but many cows were just mildly affected (grade 1; on average 32.7 and 41.4% in the P- and H-study, respectively). This agreed with findings in three earlier Dutch epidemiological studies (Peterse, 1980; Frankena et al., 1991; Smits et al., 1992). Moreover, we found that IDHE lesions were more prevalent and more severe in the housing period than during grazing, which confirms that IDHE infection has a seasonal pattern, and the degree of affection is highest at the end of the housing period, as decribed earlier (Peterse, 1980, 1987; Frankena et al., 1991).
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Differences in prevalence rates of claw disorders in the P-, H-, and P/H-study might have its origin in several causes. First, in some marginal cases, differences in the interpretation of presence and severity of a claw disorder may have occurred due to inter- and intra-observer variation. For example, in scoring the severity of IDHE, DD, and SH, when distinguishing between a slight (grade 1), or more serious lesion (grade 2 or higher). The borderline between these two disease stages can be doubtful in some cases. In common, however, this was considered of minor importance because most claw disorders and symptoms are well recognizable, observers were specially trained, and observers’ records were regularly checked during the observation period. Second, the time period between two consecutive herd-trimming events was not taken into account in the present analysis. The importance of hoof trimming interval when interpreting claw health records has been recognized by Enevoldsen and Gröhn (1991). Hoof trimming, as part of the farm management, can be used either as a preventive or curative tool. If study herds have brought forward their date of herd trimming in order to prevent serious claw problems, this might result in an underestimation of the prevalence rates for certain claw lesions. Other farmers, however, may have been less attentive to their cattle’s claw health, allowing a longer time period between two herd trimmings, i.e., an overestimation. Third, farms included in the P-study were not necessarily the same as those in the H-study. In total, 35 farms were included in both the P- and H-study; 26 farms were included once, either in the P- or H-study. (Some farms could not be visited twice because herd trimming coincided on several farms; other farms were not included in the P- or H-study analysis because they exceeded the definitions of either pasture or housing period). Finally, the level of exposure to some risk factors for claw disorders may have varied between pasture and housing period, resulting in differences in prevalence rates. An inventory of potential cow and environmental risk factors was also part of the present study. Results of the risk analyses will be reported separately.
Herd Level Prevalence
IDHE.
Figure 2 shows the distribution of herd prevalence rates for serious IDHE among herds with concrete flooring and in SY herds. All herds with concrete flooring in the P- and H-study had cows that showed serious IDHE lesions (grades 2 and 3). Herd prevalence ranged between 3 and 92% in the P-study (median = 24.2%), and between 2 and 93% in the H-study (median = 48.8%), whereas in SY herds this range was between 0 and 49% (median = 5.7%). The Kruskal-Wallis Multiple Comparison Z-Value test ( = 0.05) showed that the differences in IDHE herd prevalence rates were significant between the P- and H-study, as well as between cows on concrete flooring in the H-study and cows in SY herds in the P/H-study.
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), ranging between 2 and 73% in the P-study (median = 27.6%) and 1 and 65% in the H-study (median = 24.4%). These numbers suggest that the level of DD infection in The Netherlands has become worse over the last decade. In a similar observational field study under 59 Dutch dairies, Frankena et al. (1991) reported that in the majority of herds, <15% of the cows were affected by DD. Moreover, since then the disease has become more widespread among dairy herds. Approximately 19 and 7% of the herds studied by Frankena et al. (1991) were not affected by DD at the end of the pasture and housing period, respectively. In our study, however, none of the herds in the P- and H-study were free from DD lesions. A marked contrast was seen in SY farms, where almost 65% (n = 10) of the herds were completely free of DD (median = 0.0%; range = 0 to 29%). Differences in mean DD herd prevalence rates between SY farms and farms having concrete flooring in either the P- or H-study were tested as significant (Kruskal-Wallis test).
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); SH prevalence at herd level varied between 10 and 83% in the P-study (median = 54.1%), and 9 and 80% in the H-study (median = 41.2).
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. Prevalence rates for the examined claw disorders (except IP) are given, as well as OR and associated P values. The small number of IP cases we found is due to the fact that claw health was assessed in a cross-sectional study; IP is acute by nature, and its symptoms are short-lived when immediate treatment is practiced. Before analyzing, the ordinally scored prevalence rates for IDHE, DD, and SH (Table 2
) were reduced into dichotomous data. An important consideration in the dichotomization was the question to what extent a certain disease stage may result in negative effects on the well-being of a cow. In our opinion, slight, superficial IDHE (grade 1) causes mild inconvenience to a cow. This in contrast to more serious stages of heel erosion (IDHE grades 2 and 3), where deep clefts in the heel and bulb region result in deformation of the claw (Peterse, 1980). As a result, hoof overgrowth is induced in the affected claw, which disturbs the natural weight-bearing process within the claw (overburdening; Toussaint Raven, 1973), and subsequently may affect the locomotion pattern of a cow. Reduction of ordinal scores for DD and SH into binary scores was based on the same well-being considerations, resulting in classifying DD grades 1 and 2, and SH grades 1, 2, 3, and 4 as DD- and SH-positive, respectively.
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SL-SCR.
Cows exposed to SL-SCR showed lower prevalence rates for infectious claw lesions (e.g. IDHE, DD, and HYP) than cows on SL (Table 3). Also, for the estimated OR for IDHE, DD, and HYP in the P- and H-study (ranging mainly between 0.5 and 0.7), a certain potential benefit of the SL-SCR is indicated, though statistical significance is lacking. Wet floor conditions are associated with a higher overall lameness prevalence in US dairy herds (Wells et al., 1995, 1999), and a higher IDHE (Thysen, 1987) and DD incidence (Rodriguez-Lainz et al., 1996) in particular, the use of a manure scraper may reduce these negative effects.
SCF.
Thysen (1987) demonstrated that severe IDHE and SUL were more prevalent on SCF than on SL. These observations were partially confirmed in our survey, since cows kept on SCF tended (P = 0.11) to have higher odds for IDHE lesions (OR = 1.7) in the P-study, and SUL (OR = 1.8) in the H-study than cows kept on SL. No other differences in prevalence rates could be determined between cows exposed to on SCF and SL.
ZG.
In a similar observational field study in 34 Dutch zero-grazing dairies, Smits et al. (1992) reported higher prevalence of IDHE, DD, HYP, and WLA in ZG cows compared with cows at pasture. Our results in the P-study are consistent with this report. Compared to cows on SL, cows in ZG herds in the P-study had a significantly (P < 0.01) higher odds for IDHE (OR = 2.6), DD (OR = 2.3), SH (OR = 2.1), SUL (OR = 2.3), and HYP (OR = 2.3). It is noted that, especially in the P-study, the level of exposure to some risk factors differs between ZG cows and cows with grazing facilities. In the H-study, only HYP (OR = 2.7) was significantly more prevalent, whereas SUL and WLA tended (P = 0.11; OR = 1.8) to be more prevalent in ZG than in SL cows. Moreover, significantly less SH (OR = 0.5) and SOC (OR = 0.4) were found.
In contrast to cows exposed to concrete floor systems with grazing (SL, SL-SCR, SCF), overall prevalence rates in ZG cows were similar (IDHE, HYP) or higher (DD, SH, SOC, SUL) in the P- than in the H-study. A possible explanation for the difference in prevalence rates between the P- and H-study in ZG cows could be a difference in study population between both seasons. All eight ZG herds included in the P-study were also part of the ZG study population in the H-study (n = 13 herds). An additional analysis is presented in Table 4 which illustrates that prevalence rates for DD and HYP were significantly higher (P < 0.01) in the group of eight ZG herds (groups P and H) compared with five ZG herds that were additionally included in the H-study (group H). However, prevalence rates for IDHE, SH, SUL, SOC, and IP in the H-study did not structurally differ between those two groups, suggesting that differences in ZG-study population only partially account for the lower prevalence rates observed in ZG herds in the H-study. In Table 5, changes in prevalence rates are tested within a group of 536 ZG cows that were included in both the P- and H-study. It shows that prevalence rates for DD, SH, and SOC decreased significantly (P < 0.001) between the P- and H-study, whereas HYP significantly increased (P < 0.001). Because housing conditions and cow factors (except for a 6-mo increase in age) remain unchanged throughout this period in ZG herds, other farm factors (e.g., management routines, feeding rationing) may play a role in the occurrence of these claw disorders.
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Impact of Claw Disorders
Welfare is an important issue with respect to lameness in dairy cows. Together with mastitis, lameness is recognized the most important health problem having a negative effect on the welfare of dairy cows (Webster, 1987; Alban, 1995; Albright, 1995). The degree of lameness depends on the severity of the pathology and is a direct result of pain on weight-bearing (Weaver, 2000). In pursuit of a sound welfare indicator, Manson and Leaver (1988) have developed locomotion score as a simple and objective tool of monitoring clinical lameness. However, the impact of subclinical lameness, e.g., the level of claw disorders, is underestimated in this method. In our study, we found that, on average 80%, of the cows exposed to concrete flooring were affected by one or more claw disorders at the same time. This high level of claw lesions has negative consequences for both animal welfare and economics. Animals may suffer from subclinical affections for a long time, as some disorders are long-lasting and painful (Alban, 1995). Even after hoof trimming and any subsequent therapy, some disorders with a chronic course (e.g., DD, SUL) may hinder cows for a long period in their normal activity pattern, locomotion, and social behavior. Further research is needed to clarify more specifically the negative effects of different levels of subclinical lameness on animal welfare. In addition, research is necessary to explore the applicability of local soft surface areas in traditional concrete flooring systems. In this way, claw health most likely can be improved in dairy cows kept in cubicle loose housing systems.
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CONCLUSIONS |
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TOPABSTRACTINTRODUCTIONMATERIALS AND METHODSRESULTS AND DISCUSSIONCONCLUSIONSACKNOWLEDGEMENTSREFERENCES |
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS |
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TOPABSTRACTINTRODUCTIONMATERIALS AND METHODSRESULTS AND DISCUSSIONCONCLUSIONSACKNOWLEDGEMENTSREFERENCES |
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Received for publication October 10, 2002. Accepted for publication January 3, 2003.
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REFERENCES |
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TOPABSTRACTINTRODUCTIONMATERIALS AND METHODSRESULTS AND DISCUSSIONCONCLUSIONSACKNOWLEDGEMENTSREFERENCES |
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L. A. Espejo and M. I. Endres Herd-Level Risk Factors for Lameness in High-Producing Holstein Cows Housed in Freestall Barns J Dairy Sci, January 1, 2007; 90(1): 306 - 314. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
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J. Vanegas, M. Overton, S. L. Berry, and W. M. Sischo Effect of rubber flooring on claw health in lactating dairy cows housed in free-stall barns. J Dairy Sci, November 1, 2006; 89(11): 4251 - 4258. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
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M. J. Haskell, L. J. Rennie, V. A. Bowell, M. J. Bell, and A. B. Lawrence Housing system, milk production, and zero-grazing effects on lameness and leg injury in dairy cows. J Dairy Sci, November 1, 2006; 89(11): 4259 - 4266. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
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R. A. Laven and K. R. Lawrence An Evaluation of the Seasonality of Veterinary Treatments for Lameness in UK Dairy Cattle. J Dairy Sci, October 1, 2006; 89(10): 3858 - 3865. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
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A. Franck and N. De Belie Concrete floor-bovine claw contact pressures related to floor roughness and deformation of the claw. J Dairy Sci, August 1, 2006; 89(8): 2952 - 2964. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
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J. Rushen and A. M. de Passille Effects of roughness and compressibility of flooring on cow locomotion. J Dairy Sci, August 1, 2006; 89(8): 2965 - 2972. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
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L. A. Espejo, M. I. Endres, and J. A. Salfer Prevalence of lameness in high-producing holstein cows housed in freestall barns in Minnesota. J Dairy Sci, August 1, 2006; 89(8): 3052 - 3058. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
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C. B. Tucker, D. M. Weary, A. M. de Passille, B. Campbell, and J. Rushen Flooring in front of the feed bunk affects feeding behavior and use of freestalls by dairy cows. J Dairy Sci, June 1, 2006; 89(6): 2065 - 2071. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
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J. R. Amory, P. Kloosterman, Z. E. Barker, J. L. Wright, R. W. Blowey, and L. E. Green Risk Factors for Reduced Locomotion in Dairy Cattle on Nineteen Farms in The Netherlands J Dairy Sci, May 1, 2006; 89(5): 1509 - 1515. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
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M. Holzhauer, C. Hardenberg, C. J. M. Bartels, and K. Frankena Herd- and Cow-Level Prevalence of Digital Dermatitis in The Netherlands and Associated Risk Factors J Dairy Sci, February 1, 2006; 89(2): 580 - 588. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
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F. C. Flower and D. M. Weary Effect of Hoof Pathologies on Subjective Assessments of Dairy Cow Gait J Dairy Sci, January 1, 2006; 89(1): 139 - 146. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
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C. Hinterhofer, J. C. Ferguson, V. Apprich, H. Haider, and C. Stanek Slatted Floors and Solid Floors: Stress and Strain on the Bovine Hoof Capsule Analyzed in Finite Element Analysis J Dairy Sci, January 1, 2006; 89(1): 155 - 162. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
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E. H. van der Waaij, M. Holzhauer, E. Ellen, C. Kamphuis, and G. de Jong Genetic Parameters for Claw Disorders in Dutch Dairy Cattle and Correlations with Conformation Traits J Dairy Sci, October 1, 2005; 88(10): 3672 - 3678. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
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F. C. Flower, D. J. Sanderson, and D. M. Weary Hoof Pathologies Influence Kinematic Measures of Dairy Cow Gait J Dairy Sci, September 1, 2005; 88(9): 3166 - 3173. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
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S. Koenig, A. R. Sharifi, H. Wentrot, D. Landmann, M. Eise, and H. Simianer Genetic Parameters of Claw and Foot Disorders Estimated with Logistic Models J Dairy Sci, September 1, 2005; 88(9): 3316 - 3325. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
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P. P. J. van der Tol, J. H. M. Metz, E. N. Noordhuizen-Stassen, W. Back, C. R. Braam, and W. A. Weijs Frictional Forces Required for Unrestrained Locomotion in Dairy Cattle J Dairy Sci, February 1, 2005; 88(2): 615 - 624. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
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J. G. C. J. Somers, W. G. P. Schouten, K. Frankena, E. N. Noordhuizen-Stassen, and J. H. M. Metz Development of Claw Traits and Claw Lesions in Dairy Cows Kept on Different Floor Systems J Dairy Sci, January 1, 2005; 88(1): 110 - 120. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
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N. B. Cook, K. V. Nordlund, and G. R. Oetzel Environmental Influences on Claw Horn Lesions Associated with Laminitis and Subacute Ruminal Acidosis in Dairy Cows J Dairy Sci, July 1, 2004; 87(13_suppl): E36 - 46. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
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P. P. J. van der Tol, S.S. van der Beek, J. H. M. Metz, E. N. Noordhuizen-Stassen, W. Back, C. R. Braam, and W. A. Weijs The Effect of Preventive Trimming on Weight Bearing and Force Balance on the Claws of Dairy Cattle J Dairy Sci, June 1, 2004; 87(6): 1732 - 1738. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
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P. P. J. van der Tol, J. H. M. Metz, E. N. Noordhuizen-Stassen, W. Back, C. R. Braam, and W. A. Weijs The Vertical Ground Reaction Force and the Pressure Distribution on the Claws of Dairy Cows While Walking on a Flat Substrate J Dairy Sci, September 1, 2003; 86(9): 2875 - 2883. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
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