Abstract
Simple SummaryIn comparison to other species, there are little data evaluating hoof conformation in dairy goats. As poor conformation is associated with an increased risk of hoof lesions and lameness, it is important to be able to accurately and reliably assess hoof conformation. This study developed a reliable hoof conformation assessment for use in dairy goats using hoof photographs. The assessment included both subjective scores and objective measures. High levels of accuracy were achieved when comparing two aspects of the subjective scores against two objective measures. This suggests the subjective scores may be a suitable alternative to the more time-consuming objective measures.The assessment of hoof conformation is important due to its recognized relationship with the biomechanical functionality of the hoof. Hoof conformation can be assessed using objective measures or subjective scores. However, to date, there are limited data using either method in dairy goats. Therefore, the aims were to (1) develop a reliable method of assessing hoof conformation in dairy goats, and (2) compare two aspects of a subjective assessment against corresponding objective measures as a means of validation. A total of 1035 goats contributed photographs across 16 commercial dairy goat farms. Photographs were taken of the left front and left hind hoof in the lateral and dorsal aspect at five assessments across the goats′ first two lactations. Hoof conformation was assessed using five subjective scores (toe length, heel shape, fetlock shape, claw splay, and claw shape) and two objective measures (toe length ratio and claw splay distance). Following the training of two observers, high levels of inter and intra-reliability were achieved for both the subjective scores (>0.8 weighted kappa) and objective measures (>0.8 Lin′s concordance correlation coefficient). Two aspects of the subjectively assessed ordinal scores were compared with the objective measures with high levels of accuracy (>0.8). This suggests that the subjective scores may be a suitable alternative to more time-consuming objective measures when assessment is completed using photographs.
Highlights
Assessment of hoof conformation is important due to its recognized relationship with the biomechanical functionality of the hoof [1]
We successfully developed a reliable method for assessing hoof conformation in dairy goats using photographs
Two aspects of hoof conformation that were subjectively assessed were validated by the comparison of the subjective scores with objective measures
Summary
Assessment of hoof conformation is important due to its recognized relationship with the biomechanical functionality of the hoof [1]. Desirable hoof conformational traits include a short toe and steeply angled hoof, a straight fetlock [2], an upright heel [3], and even claws [4], enabling even. Poor hoof conformation is associated with an animal0 s susceptibility to hoof lesions and lameness [4,6,7], decreased reproductive performance [8], reduced milk production [9], and a greater risk of being culled [10,11]. Accurate assessment of hoof conformation is imperative for the identification of at-risk animals. Hoof conformation can be assessed using either subjective scores or objective measures. Aspects of the objective hoof conformation assessment described by Vermunt and Greenough [12] are often used in dairy cows [12,13,14]. Features assessed commonly include measurements of claw/sole length, heel height and dorsal wall length using calipers, and claw angle using an angle gauge or protractor
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