Hind feet position score: A novel trait to genetically reduce lameness incidence

Graphical Abstract

Summary: This study investigated the extent to which the assessment of hind feet position score, recorded during routine milk performance testing in the milking parlor, can be used as an auxiliary trait for genetic evaluation of lameness in dairy cows. For hind feet position scoring, sensitivity and specificity were 69.5% and 66.8%, respectively, for detecting lameness defined by a locomotion score ≥2. Genetic parameters for hind feet position score and locomotion score were estimated. The heritability for hind feet position score was 0.07 and the locomotion score was 0.10. The genetic correlation between the 2 traits was 0.80. These results suggest that the value for hind feet position score could be used for genetic evaluations to reduce the incidence of lameness in dairy cows.

Highlights

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  Hind feet position score was evaluated in the milking parlor during routine milk performance testing and compared with outcomes from gait scoring.

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  Hind feet position score is a heritable trait and shows a high genetic correlation to the locomotion score.

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  At the phenotypic level, hind feet position score is of limited value to identify individual lame cows.

Abstract

Lameness is an important health and welfare issue that causes considerable economic losses in dairy herds. The objective of this study was to investigate whether the hind feet position score (HFPS) can be used as an auxiliary trait for genetic evaluation of lameness. The HFPS is evaluated by visual scoring of the position of both the hind-digits to the mid-line of the cow's body. The higher the heel height of the lateral claw, the higher is the HFPS, and the higher is the risk for development of lameness. In total, 3,478 records from 1,064 Fleckvieh cows from 35 farms were obtained between September 1, 2021, and March 5, 2022. Data collection was carried out by the regional milk recording organizations. Hind feet position was scored visually by trained personnel during routine milk performance testing in the milking parlor using a 3-class scoring system: score 1 = 0° to <17° indicating a balanced heel height of both the medial and the lateral claw; score 2 = angle of 17° to 24°; score 3 = angle of >24°. After all cows had been milked, locomotion scoring was performed for each animal using a 5-class scoring system with locomotion scores ranging between 1 (normal) and 5 (severely lame). Using HFPS, sensitivity and specificity were 69.5% and 66.8%, respectively, for detecting lameness defined by locomotion score ≥2. For genetic analyses, a bivariate linear animal model was fitted with fixed effects of herd, parity, lactation stage, and classifier, and random effects of animal and permanent environment. Heritabilities for HFPS and locomotion score were 0.07 and 0.10, respectively, and the genetic correlation between the 2 traits studied was 0.80. These results suggest that the HFPS could be used for genetic evaluations to reduce lameness incidence in dairy cattle.