title: Effect of exercise and environmental terrain on development of the digital cushion and bony structures of the bovine foot.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether exercise on alternative terrain affects the development of the digital cushion and bony structures of the bovine foot.
  
  
  METHODS
  20 weaned bull calves.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two-month-old calves were randomly allocated to an exercise or control group. For 4 months, the control group was maintained in grass paddocks, and the exercise group was maintained in a 0.8-km lane with a mixed terrain of dirt, stones (0.32- to 0.95-cm pea gravel and 5-cm crusher run), and grass. Water and food for the exercise group were located at opposite ends of the lane; calves were fed twice daily, which ensured they walked 3.2 km/d. Pedometers were applied to all calves to measure distance traveled. All calves were slaughtered at 6 months of age. The right forefeet and hind feet were harvested for MRI and CT evaluation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Control calves walked a mean of 1.1 km daily, whereas the exercised calves walked a mean of 3.2 km daily. Mean digital cushion volume and surface area were 25,335 mm(3) and 15,647 mm(2), respectively, for the exercised calves and 17,026 mm(3) and 12,745 mm(2), respectively, for the control calves. When weight was controlled, mean digital cushion volume and surface area for the exercise group were increased by 37.10% and 18.25%, respectively, from those for the control group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results indicated that exercise on alternative terrain increased the volume and surface area of the digital cushion of the feet of dairy calves, which should make them less susceptible to lameness.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849.
authors.forename: Julie A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Gard
authors.forename: Debra R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: Dewey R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Wilhite
authors.forename: Soren P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Rodning
authors.forename: Megan L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Schnuelle
authors.forename: Richard K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Sanders
authors.forename: Ronald J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Beyers
authors.forename: Misty A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Edmondson
authors.forename: Fred J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: DeGraves
authors.forename: Edzard
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: van Santen
mesh_terms: D000822:Animal Husbandry; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001835:Body Weight; D002417:Cattle / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000254:growth & development*; D004777:Environment; D006724:Hoof and Claw / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000254:growth & development*; D008297:Male; D010805:Physical Conditioning, Animal; D014886:Weaning