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Risk factors and milk yield losses associated with lameness in Holstein-Friesian dairy cattle

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 August 2008

O. M. Onyiro ,
J. Offer  and
S. Brotherstone
O. M. Onyiro*
Affiliation:
School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, West Mains Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3JT, UK
J. Offer
Affiliation:
Dairy Health Unit, Scottish Agricultural College Veterinary Science Division, Auchincruive, AYR KA6 5AE, UK
S. Brotherstone
Affiliation:
School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, West Mains Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3JT, UK Sustainable Livestock Systems Group, Scottish Agricultural College, Bush Estate, Penicuik, EH26 OQE, UK
*
E-mail: O.M.Onyiro@sms.ed.ac.uk
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Abstract

Weekly locomotion scores on a scale of 1 to 5 were used to investigate the relationship between cattle lameness, management systems and the impact of lameness on milk production. The data were 14026 locomotion scores from 248 Holstein-Friesian cows. Cows were managed in two groups, XE (high-concentrate feed and housed indoors all year) and XM (low-concentrate feed and outdoors in summer). Analysis was performed using residual maximum likelihood. Results indicated that the most significant variables affecting locomotion were time of year when the animal was locomotion scored and management group. Cows scored during February and August had increased locomotion problems. Cows in the more intensively managed group had significantly poorer locomotion compared with those in the more extensive group. Older animals were more susceptible to lameness than heifers. Body weight, body condition score and days in milk (DIM) also accounted for significant variation in locomotion score. Poor locomotion was associated with a significant reduction in the milk yield of later lactation cows. There was a significant difference in the shape of the lactation curve depending on whether or not the cow was lame during lactation. Average persistency was greater for the group of cows never lame throughout lactation compared with those lame before 60 DIM.

Keywords

dairy cattleenvironmental effectlactation curvelocomotion scoremilk yield
Type
Full Paper
Information
animal , Volume 2 , Issue 8 , August 2008 , pp. 1230 - 1237
Copyright
Copyright © The Animal Consortium 2008

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