The effect of diet and housing on the development of sole haemorrhages, white line haemorrhages and heel erosions in Holstein heifers

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Abstract

Haemorrhagic lesions, heel erosions and changes in foot conformation have been associated with husbandry, underfoot conditions and nutrition of dairy cows.

These characteristics were monitored in 40 heifers in a 2 × 2 factorial design starting in the last trimester of pregnancy and continuing until 12 weeks post partum. Primary treatments were housing in straw yards or cubicles and secondary treatments were alternative complete diets given during lactation which differed in concentrate: forage ratio. A scoring system was developed for each of the foot lesions to allow statistical analysis of results. Locomotion scoring was carried out weekly.

White line haemorrhages, sole haemorrhages and heel erosions were all present before calving. White line haemorrhages were exacerbated by housing in cubicle yards and alleviated by housing in straw yards ( P < 0·001) with an interaction between diet and housing around calving ( P < 0·05). Sole haemorrhages were exacerbated both by housing in cubicle yards ( P < 0·01) and the high concentrate diet ( P < 0·01) with an interaction between diet and housing around calving ( P < 0·05). Heel erosions were exacerbated ( P < 0·05) by housing in straw yards but not affected by diet. Sole haemorrhage and heel erosion scores generally increased during early lactation ( P < 0·001) independent of the treatments. There was evidence that these foot lesions were not caused by laminitis. There was a higher incidence of lameness for heifers given the high concentrate diet but no correlation between locomotion score and the type of lesion or lesion score.

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Most cited references 10

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Effect of different housing conditions on behaviour and foot lesions in Friesian heifers.

Robert C F Leonard, K O'Farrell, David J. O’Connell (1994)

Spring-calving Friesian heifers were randomly allocated either to Dutch Comfort cubicles (2130 x 1160 mm) bedded with rubber mats or to modified Newton Rigg cubicles (2060 x 1090 mm) without bedding. Their behavioural activities, including lying down and standing, were monitored every 30 minutes for two days and two nights each week from November to March, and all four feet of each animal were examined at housing, at calving and monthly thereafter. During January, February and March the 22 heifers in the Dutch Comfort cubicles lay down significantly longer and spent significantly less time standing half-in the cubicles than the 21 heifers in the Newton Rigg cubicles (P < 0.01). Claw health deteriorated in all the animals after housing, but less in the heifers in the Dutch Comfort cubicles, at both one and two months after calving (P < 0.05). There were moderate correlations between the lying behaviour and the total foot lesions and the lesions in the sole ulcer area of the heifers in the Dutch Comfort cubicles but none for the heifers in the Newton Rigg cubicles, possibly because lameness is a multifactorial condition and other factors may have masked the effect of lying down on foot lesions in this group. The better conditions provided by the Dutch Comfort cubicles were associated with better claw health and this effect was partially mediated through the increased time spent lying down by the heifers in these cubicles.

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The scope for raising margins in dairy herds by improving fertility and health.

R J Esslemont, E Peeler (2015)

Under today's difficult farming conditions, the farmer must examine every aspect of management that may improve economic efficiency. Apart from the usual areas such as feeding and the use of variable and fixed costs, there is scope in terms of improving health and fertility of the cattle in the herd. This is particularly so at the present time, as the standards of such performance are generally low. The main losses occur in animals with endometritis, lameness, mastitis, extended calving intervals and excessive involuntary culling. The cost in a 100 cow herd of carrying average rates, rather than practically attainable target rates, is around 10,000 pounds per year. By only using the direct costs of disease and by including indirect costs separately, as measured by whole herd fertility indices, double counting has been avoided.

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Predisposing factors of laminitis in cattle.

J.J. Vermunt, P.R. Greenough (1994)

Laminitis is regarded as a major predisposing factor in lameness caused by claw disorders. Despite intensive study, both by experiment and by clinical observation, knowledge of the precise aetiology and pathogenesis of bovine laminitis is still incomplete. It is often hypothesized that changes in the micro-circulation of the corum (dermis) of the bovine claw contribute significantly to the development of laminitis; arteriovenous anastomoses (AVAs) playing a crucial role. Many factors have been implicated as contributing causes of laminitis in cattle; the disease has a multifactorial aetiology. The cause of laminitis should be considered as a combination of predisposing factors leading to vascular (AVAs in particular) reactivity and inhibition of normal horn synthesis. Nutrition, disease, management and behaviour appear to be closely involved in the pathogenesis of bovine laminitis. The major factors predisposing to laminitis in cattle, as reported or suggested in the literature, are reviewed, including systemic disease, nutrition (barley grain, protein, carbohydrate and fibre), management (housing, bedding and exercise), calving, season, age, growth, genetics, conformation and behaviour.

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Author and article information

Journal

Title: Animal Science

Abbreviated Title: Anim. Sci.

Publisher: Cambridge University Press (CUP)

ISSN (Print): 1357-7298

ISSN (Electronic): 1748-748X

Publication date Created: August 1998

Publication date (Electronic): September 02 2010

Publication date (Print): August 1998

Volume: 67

Issue: 1

Pages: 9-16

Article

DOI: 10.1017/S1357729800009747

SO-VID: 8ce4dc88-9329-4a74-a11c-efea8b2732d6

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https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms

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