Hematological and Feeding Behavior in Lame Dairy Cows

Abstract

Foot disorders of dairy cattle are associated with low production rates and lead to losses that can reach up to 50% of the productive capacity. The objective of this work was to evaluate the feeding behavior and hematological profile of healthy and lameness dairy cows kept in the compost barn system. Eighteen multiparous Holstein cows, with daily milk production of 46.7 L were divided into two groups: nine animals that had a locomotion score (LS) 2 or more and sole hematoma and another group composed of nine healthy animals. The animals were followed for 10 days and was evaluated the food consumption, milk production and hematological profile. Lame cows presented hematocrit lower than healthy cows (p= 0.04), being 26.4% and 27.7% respectively, and lower concentration (p< 0.05) of total leukocytes (7.96 ± 0.63 x 10.21 ± 0.73). Healthy animals presented greater concentration (p <0.05) of lymphocytes (4.25 ± 0.70) when compared with lameness cows (1.96 ± 0.60). The total daily food consumption was not affect by the health condition, however, when evaluated the milk production, lameness cows showed less milk production than the healthy animals. Thus reflecting, in this result, one of the many direct losses that lameness can bring into the milk production systems.