title: Assessment of bovine hoof conformation and its association with lameness, animal factors and management practices on small-scale dairy farms in Kiambu district, Kenya.
abstract: Digital health and conformation were assessed in 216 dairy cattle on 78 randomly selected small-scale farms. For each cow, gait was assessed and the digits examined in detail. Hoof measurements (angle and length of the dorsal hoof wall, heel depth and hoof-base area) were also made. Hoof measurements varied most between individual cattle. Dorsal angle was correlated with heel depth (r = 0.53; P = 0.001) and dorsal length (r = -0.40; P = 0.001). The hoof-base area was correlated with the dorsal length (r = 0.41; P = 0.001). There were significant breed differences in dorsal angle (P = 0.03) and dorsal length (P < 0.01). The dorsal angle was correlated with parity and body condition, while the dorsal length, heel depth and the hoof-base area were correlated with the heart girth (P < 0.01). Hoof conformation was associated with both clinical lameness and hoof lesions. A 1-cm increase in the dorsal length increased the odds of lameness by 16.9, heel erosion by 1.8, underrunning by 5.4 and overgrowth by 40 (P < 0.01).
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, University of Nairobi, Kenya.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gitau
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Mbiuki
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: McDermott
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000824:Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000818:Animals; D001824:Body Constitution; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D005534:Foot Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D006724:Hoof and Claw / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D006799:Housing, Animal; D007630:Kenya / Q000453:epidemiology; D007794:Lameness, Animal / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D016014:Linear Models; D010298:Parity; D015995:Prevalence