Effect of Housing on Lameness, Body Condition Score and Udder Health of Sahiwal Dairy Cattle

Abstract

Background: Lameness is a huge problem in intensive livestock production, leading to enormous losses in terms of stress to animals, less reproductive ability and increased chances of mastitis. Zero grazing system is needed for today’s intensive livestock production, but it has also led to increased lameness chances, unnecessarily increased body condition score and increased mastitis incidences. On the other hand, pasture grazing promotes cows to exhibit natural behaviour, which improves the health and welfare of animals. Methods: Present study was aimed to find effect of housing on lameness, body score and udder health of Sahiwal cows. 204 Sahiwal cows were included in the study out of which 50 were reared on pasture and the rest were stall-fed. Lameness and body condition scoring was done and milk samples were collected using aseptic techniques. Result: Clinical lameness is quite low in Sahiwal i.e. 6% with no significant difference between pasture grazing and stall fed animals. Stall fed animals revealed significantly more claw lesions than pasture grazed animals. Grazing animals revealed significantly lower body condition score than stall fed animals. In term of udder health, stall fed animals revealed higher odds of mastitis than pasture grazed animals.