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 .
Lameness Prevalence and Risk Factors in Large Dairy Farms in Upstate New York. Model Development for the Prediction of Claw Horn Disruption Lesions
The main objectives of this prospect i ve cohort study were a ) to describe lameness prevalence at drying off in large high producing New York State herds based on visual locomotion score ( VLS ) and identify potential cow and herd level risk factors , and b ) to develop a model that will predict the probability of a cow developing claw horn disruption lesions ( CHDL ) in the subsequent lactation using cow level variables collected at drying off and /or available from farm management software . Data were collected from 23 large commercial dairy farms located in upstate New York . A total of 7,687 dry cows , that were less than 265 days in gestation , were enrolled in the study . Farms were visited between May 2012 and March 2013 , and cows were assessed for body condition score ( BCS ) and VLS . Data on the CHDL events recorded by the farm employees were extracted from the Dairy-Comp 305 data base , as well as information regarding the studied cows ’ health events , milk production , and reproductive records throughout the previous and subsequent lactation period . Univariable analyses and mixed multivariable logistic regression models were used to analyse the data at the cow level . The overall average prevalence of lameness ( VLS > 2 ) at drying off was 14 % . Lactation group , previous CHDL , mature equivalent 305-d milk yield ( ME305 ) , season , BCS at drying off and sire PTA for strength were all significantly associated with lameness at the drying off ( cow-level ) . Lameness at drying off was associated with CHDL incidence in the subsequent lactation , as well as lactation group , previous CHDL and ME305 . These risk factors for CHDL in the subsequent lactation were included in our predictive model and adjusted predicted probabilities for CHDL were calculated for all studied cows . ROC analysis identified an optimum cut-off point for these probabilities and using this cut-off point we could predict CHDL incidence in the subsequent lactation with an overall specificity of 75 % and sensitivity of 59 % . Using this approach , we would have detected 33 % of the studied population as being at risk , eventually identifying 59 % of future CHDL cases . Our predictive model could help dairy producers focusing their efforts on CHDL reduction by implementing aggressive preventive measures for high risk cows
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 .