Claw health and prevalence of lameness in cows from compost bedded and cubicle freestall dairy barns in Austria.
Claw health and lameness data from five dairies with compost bedded barns (n = 201 data sets) were evaluated and compared with data from five dairy herds housed in freestall cubicle barns (n = 297 data sets). They were matched for having the same cow numbers, flooring type and similar milk yield. The prevalence of lameness, claw lesions and their severity grades were analysed. Two claw health indicators, the cow claw score (CCS) and the farm claw score (FCS), were calculated using a computerised claw trimming database programme; there was no significant difference in overall lameness prevalence in cows from five compost bedded barns (18.7%) compared to cows from five freestall cubicle herds (14.9%). A cumulative link mixed model (CLMM) did not show significant differences in locomotion between different types of bedding material, flooring system, breed, visit number, observer and time since last trimming, but locomotion was significantly influenced by CCS. Another CLMM tested the impact of parameters mentioned on CCS and showed significant influence of flooring type, visit number and cattle breed. Statistically significant differences in the prevalence of claw disorders between compost bedded and freestall cubicle barns were found for white line disease (WLD; 20.4% and 46.6%, respectively), heel horn erosion (HHE; 26.9% and 59.9%, respectively), concave dorsal wall as a result of chronic laminitis (6.5% and 15.9%, respectively) and for interdigital hyperplasia (0.2% and 3.1%, respectively). The results of this study indicate that compost dairy barns are a good alternative to common cubicle housing systems in terms of lameness, claw health and animal welfare.
Department of Farm Animals and Veterinary Public Health, University of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinaerplatz 1, A-1210 Vienna, Austria.
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Burgstaller
Department of Farm Animals and Veterinary Public Health, University of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinaerplatz 1, A-1210 Vienna, Austria.
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Raith
Department for Data, Statistics and Risk Assessment, Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety, Zinzendorfgasse 27/1, A-8010 Graz, Austria.
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Kuchling
Department of Farm Animals and Veterinary Public Health, University of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinaerplatz 1, A-1210 Vienna, Austria.
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Mandl
Department of Farm Animals and Veterinary Public Health, University of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinaerplatz 1, A-1210 Vienna, Austria.
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Hund
Department of Farm Animals and Veterinary Public Health, University of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinaerplatz 1, A-1210 Vienna, Austria. Electronic address: Johann.Kofler@vetmeduni.ac.at.
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Kofler
D000818:Animals; D001317:Austria / Q000453:epidemiology; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D003612:Dairying / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005430:Floors and Floorcoverings; D005534:Foot Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D006724:Hoof and Claw / Q000473:pathology*; D006799:Housing, Animal; D007794:Lameness, Animal / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D015995:Prevalence
Bedding system; Cattle; Claw disorders; Electronic recording; Welfare