Stall dimensions and the prevalence of lameness, injury, and cleanliness on 317 tie-stall dairy farms in Ontario.
The study objectives were to provide a province-wide description of stall dimensions and the aspects of cattle welfare linked to stall design in the tie-stall industry. Data on stall design; stall dimensions; and the prevalence of lameness, injury, and hind limb and udder cleanliness in lactating dairy cattle were collected from a sample of 317 tie-stall farms across Ontario. The majority of the study farms (90%) had stalls with dimensions (length, width, tie-chain length, and tie rail height) that were less than the current recommendations. This may explain, in part, the prevalence of lameness measured as the prevalence of back arch (3.2%) and severe hind claw rotation (23%), hock lesions (44%), neck lesions (3.8%), broken tails (3%), dirty hind limbs (23%), and dirty udders (4.6%). Veterinarians and producers may use this information to compare farms with the industry averages and target areas in need of improvement.
Zurbrigg
Kathy
K
Department of Population Medicine, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1. Kathy.zurbrigg@omaf.gov.on.ca
Kelton
David
D
Anderson
Neil
N
Millman
Suzanne
S
D000827:Animal Welfare; D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle / Q000293:injuries*; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D003612:Dairying / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005430:Floors and Floorcoverings; D006799:Housing, Animal / Q000592:standards; D006920:Hygiene; D007794:Lameness, Animal / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D009864:Ontario / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012720:Severity of Illness Index