A higher risk of being lame was found for the presence of claw overgrowth , the first 120 days in milk , larger herd sizes , and increasing parity .
Background Lameness in dairy cows has been an ongoing concern of great relevance to animal welfare and productivity in modern dairy production .
Many studies have examined associations between various factors related to housing , management , and the individual animal and the occurrence of lameness .
The objective of this systematic review was to answer the research question “ what are risk factors associated with lameness in dairy cows that are housed in free stall barns or tie stall facilities ” .
Furthermore , we performed a synthesis of current evidence on certain risk factors by means of a meta- analysis to illustrate the strength of their association with bovine lameness .
The development, implementation and testing of a lameness control programme based on HACCP principles and designed for heifers on dairy farms.
This paper describes the development and testing of a lameness control programme ( LCP ) for heifers on dairy farms . The LCP , which is based on the analysis of hazards and critical control points ( HACCP ) , was tested via a r and omised intervention study on 60 farms . Tangible hazards for each farm were identified , allotted to 11 categories of proximate hazard and scored on each farm to quantify the risks presented by each hazard . Feet were inspected for signs of claw horn disease and infection , such as digital dermatitis . Intervention was generally ineffective , primarily through failure to implement the LCP . However , retrospective analysis was able to demonstrate highly significant associations between risks attached to proximate hazards and probabilities of lameness and foot lesions , allowing the severity of these hazards to be ranked . The most significant proximate hazards of environmental origin were prolonged st and ing on concrete , st and ing in wet slurry and factors that cause claw trauma . The most severe proximate hazards however were those associated with failures of management , especially poor claw condition and inadequate foot care . Overall farm risks ( OFR ) were estimated by summing the products of the generic severity for proximate hazards with on-farm risks . Changes in OFR were significantly related to changes in outcome ( lameness and lesions )
A higher risk of being lame was found for the presence of claw overgrowth , the first 120 days in milk , larger herd sizes , and increasing parity .
Background Lameness in dairy cows has been an ongoing concern of great relevance to animal welfare and productivity in modern dairy production .
Many studies have examined associations between various factors related to housing , management , and the individual animal and the occurrence of lameness .
The objective of this systematic review was to answer the research question “ what are risk factors associated with lameness in dairy cows that are housed in free stall barns or tie stall facilities ” .
Furthermore , we performed a synthesis of current evidence on certain risk factors by means of a meta- analysis to illustrate the strength of their association with bovine lameness .