Abstract
Lameness in dairy cattle is primarily caused by foot lesions including sole haemorrhage (SH) and sole ulcers (SU). This study investigated the genetic architecture of SH and SU in different lactation stages based on accurate phenotyping, genetic parameter estimation, genome-wide association (GWA) and functional enrichment analyses. Foot lesion records were collected from 2,353 Holstein cows on four herds at four time-points: prior to calving, immediately after calving, early lactation, and late lactation stages. Heritability estimates were 0.11-0.20 for SH and 0.05-0.13 for SU across stages, and genetic correlations between stages were high for both traits. Candidate genes associated with SH and SU link to immune functions such as complement activation and inflammation, nervous system and muscle functions. To conclude, SH and SU are under genetic control and foot health can be improved with selective breeding.
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