Abstract
BackgroundLittle is known about foot lesions in dairy cattle in Ireland, managed under a pasture based system with housing during the winter and grazing for the rest of the year. Ten Irish dairy herds, with a lameness prevalence ranging from 9 to 17 % were locomotion scored routinely during the 2013 grazing season. Lame cows were foot trimmed and foot lesions recorded.Findings11.8 % and 89.6 % of cows had lesions recorded on front and hind feet respectively. No lesions were found in 6.9 % of cows. Sole haemorrhage and white line disease were the most prevalent lesions, and overall 76.8 % of lesions affecting the claw horn were diagnosed on the lateral hind claw.ConclusionsTreatment success, as measured by improved LS post treatment, was not significantly affected by the LS prior to foot trimming, the presence of lesions or the type of lesion identified. Exposure to both risk factors for lameness at housing and pasture may have resulted in the development of a combination of foot lesions typically associated with zero-grazing or all-year-round grazing management systems.
Highlights
Little is known about foot lesions in dairy cattle in Ireland, managed under a pasture based system with housing during the winter and grazing for the rest of the year
Treatment success, as measured by improved Locomotion score (LS) post treatment, was not significantly affected by the LS prior to foot trimming, the presence of lesions or the type of lesion identified. Exposure to both risk factors for lameness at housing and pasture may have resulted in the development of a combination of foot lesions typically associated with zero-grazing or all-year-round grazing management systems
There is a perception that lameness is less of a problem for cows managed at pasture compared to zero-grazing herds [5]
Summary
As measured by improved LS post treatment, was not significantly affected by the LS prior to foot trimming, the presence of lesions or the type of lesion identified Exposure to both risk factors for lameness at housing and pasture may have resulted in the development of a combination of foot lesions typically associated with zero-grazing or all-year-round grazing management systems. Little is known about foot lesions in cattle managed under a pasture based This investigation was conducted as part of a larger study on lameness and fertility, carried out on 10 dairy farms (Table 1) in Co. Kildare, Ireland. As the cows were leaving the milking parlour after morning milking, the entire milking herd was visually assessed for lameness by the first author using a 5-point LS scale [12] Using this scale, each cow was awarded LS from 1 to 5 based on the presence or absence of an arched back when
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