Claw trimming routines in relation to claw lesions, claw shape and lameness in Norwegian dairy herds housed in tie stalls and free stalls

Abstract

We assessed the prevalence of claw lesions, abnormal claw shapes and lameness in relation to most-recent claw-trimming routines in Norwegian dairy herds housed in tie stalls and free stalls. Equal-sized groups were randomly sampled from both tie and free stalls in each of the three most animal-dense regions in Norway. The study population consisted of 2551 cows of the Norwegian Red breed housed in 54 tie stalls and 52 free stalls. Fourteen educated claw trimmers performed claw trimming and recording of claw lesions once during the spring of 2002. A multivariable model including cluster effects and individual-cow factors was fit for each claw lesion and abnormal claw shape. In tie-stall herds with routine trimming 39.9% of the cows had one or more lesions or abnormal shapes in front or hind claws versus 52.8% in herds with no routine trimming. Hind-claw results in tie stalls with concrete stall base: herds trimmed occasionally had more haemorrhages of the white line (OR = 2.8) and corkscrewed hind claws (OR = 3.6) versus herds trimmed routinely; herds never trimmed had more heel-horn erosions (OR = 2.6) versus herds trimmed routinely and less haemorrhages of the white line (OR = 0.3) and the sole (OR = 0.2) versus herds trimmed occasionally. In free-stall herds with routine trimming 76.8% of the cows had one or more lesions or abnormal shapes in front or hind claws versus 68.9% in herds with no routine trimming. Hind-claw results in free stalls with concrete stall base: herds never trimmed had less haemorrhages of the white line (OR = 0.3) and the sole (OR = 0.3) versus herds trimmed routinely; and also less haemorrhages of the white line (OR = 0.3) and white-line fissures (OR = 0.3) versus herds trimmed occasionally. Hind-claw results in free stalls with rubber-mat stall base: herds trimmed occasionally had less heel-horn erosions (OR = 0.5) and more dermatitis (OR = 5.4) versus herds trimmed routinely. The routine claw trimming performed in Norwegian free stalls has not had the desired effects on claw lesions and abnormal claw shapes. Routine trimming in tie stalls, however, seems to have prevented claw disorders.