Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-rcrh6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-20T09:34:58.508Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Measures to improve dairy cow foot health: consequences for farmer income and dairy cow welfare

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 July 2012

M. R. N. Bruijnis ,
H. Hogeveen  and
E. N. Stassen
M. R. N. Bruijnis*
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Sciences, Wageningen Institute for Animal Sciences, Animal and Society, Wageningen University, PO Box 338, 6700 AH Wageningen, The Netherlands
H. Hogeveen
Affiliation:
Department of Farm Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, PO Box 80151, 3508 TD Utrecht, The Netherlands Business Economics Group, Department of Social Sciences, Wageningen University, PO Box 8130, 6700 EW Wageningen, The Netherlands
E. N. Stassen
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Sciences, Wageningen Institute for Animal Sciences, Animal and Society, Wageningen University, PO Box 338, 6700 AH Wageningen, The Netherlands
*
†E-mail: [email protected]
Get access

Abstract

Dairy farming in western countries with cubicle housing is an efficient way of dairy farming. Though, a disadvantage is the high prevalence and incidence of foot disorders (clinical and subclinical), which cause high economic losses and also seriously impair the welfare of dairy cattle. To point out the importance of reducing the amount and severity of foot disorders, advice to farmers should include information about the scale of the problem and the consequences in terms of economics and animal welfare. To provide support in making decisions on implementing intervention measures, insight into costs and benefits of different measures should be available. The objective of this study, therefore, is to provide more insight into the costs and benefits, for farmer and cow, of different intervention measures to improve dairy cow foot health. Intervention measures were modeled when they were applicable on a dairy farm with cubicle housing and when sufficient information was available in literature. Net costs were calculated as the difference between the costs of the measure and the economic benefits resulting from the measure. Welfare benefits were calculated as well. Cost-effective measures are: improving lying surface (mattress and bedding, €7 and €1/cow per year, respectively), reducing stocking density (break even) and performing additional foot trimming (€1/cow per year). Simultaneously, these measures have a relative high welfare benefit. Labor costs play an important role in the cost-effectiveness of labor-intensive measures. More insight into cost-effectiveness and welfare benefits of intervention measures can help to prioritize when choosing between intervention measures.

Keywords

dairy cow welfarefoot disordermodelingintervention measurecosts
Type
Behaviour, welfare and health
Information
animal , Volume 7 , Issue 1 , January 2013 , pp. 167 - 175
Copyright
Copyright © The Animal Consortium 2012

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Alban, L, Lawson, LG, Agger, JF 1995. Foul in the foot (interdigital necrobacillosis) in Danish dairy cows – frequency and possible risk factors. Preventive Veterinary Medicine 24, 73–82.Google Scholar
Amory, JR, Kloosterman, P, Barker, ZE, Wright, JL, Blowey, RW, Green, LE 2006. Risk factors for reduced locomotion in dairy cattle on nineteen farms in The Netherlands. Journal of Dairy Science 89, 1509–1515.Google Scholar
Amstel van, SR, Shearer, JK 2006a. Review of pododermatitis circumscripta (ulceration of the sole) in dairy cows. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine 20, 805–811.Google Scholar
Amstel van, SR, Shearer, JK 2006b. Manual for treatment and control of lameness in cattle, 1st edition. Blackwell Publishing.Google Scholar
Ando, T, Annaka, D, Ohtsuka, H, Kohiruimaki, M, Hayashi, T, Hasegava, Y, Watanabe, D 2008. Effect of hoof trimming before the dry period on productive performance in perinatal dairy cows. The Journal of Veterinary Medical Science 70, 95–98.Google Scholar
Barker, ZE, Leach, KA, Whay, HR, Bell NJl Main, DCJ 2010. Assessment of lameness prevalence and associated risk factors in dairy herds in England and Wales. Journal of Dairy Science 93, 932–941.Google Scholar
Barker, ZE, Amory, JR, Wright, JL, Mason, SA, Blowey, RW, Green, LE 2009. Risk factors for increased rates of sole ulcers, white line disease, and digital dermatitis in dairy cattle from twenty-seven farms in England and Wales. Journal of Dairy Science 92, 1971–1978.Google Scholar
Bergsten, C, Greenough, PR, Gay, JM, Seymour, WM, Gay, CC 2003. Effects of biotin supplementation on performance and claw lesions on a commercial dairy farm. Journal of Dairy Science 86, 3953–3962.Google Scholar
Bruijnis, MRN, Hogeveen, H, Stassen, EN 2010. Assessing economic consequences of foot disorders in dairy cattle using a dynamic stochastic simulation model. Journal of Dairy Science 93, 2419–2432.Google Scholar
Bruijnis, MRN, Beerda, B, Hogeveen, H, Stassen, EN 2012. Assessing the welfare impact of foot disorders in dairy cattle by a modeling approach. Animal 6, 962–970.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cook, NB, Nordlund, KV 2009. The influence of the environment on dairy cow behavior, claw health and herd lameness dynamics. The Veterinary Journal 179, 360–369.Google Scholar
CRV, 2010. Handboek CRV, Chapter E30.Google Scholar
Ettema, J, Østergaard, S, Kristensen, AR 2009. Estimation of probability for the presence of claw and digital skin diseases by combining cow- and herd-level information using a Bayesian network. Preventive Veterinary Medicine 92, 89–98.Google Scholar
Ettema, J, Østergaard, S, Kristensen, AR 2010. Modelling the economic impact of three lameness causing diseases using herd and cow level evidence. Preventive Veterinary Medicine 95, 64–73.Google Scholar
Fregonesi, JA, Tucker, CB, Weary, DM 2007. Overstocking reduces lying time in dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science 90, 3349–3354.Google Scholar
Garcia-Bracho, D, Hahn, MK, Pino, DR, Vivas, IP, Leal, MR, Clerc, K 2009. Functional trimming at the dry off period to prevent foot diseases in confined dairy cows at the tropical area. Revista Cientifica 19, 147–152.Google Scholar
Hanna, D, Sneddon, IA, Beattie, VE 2009. The relationship between the stockperson's personality and attitudes and the productivity of dairy cows. Animal 3, 737–743.Google Scholar
Hedges, J, Blowey, RW, Packington, AJ, O'Callaghan, CJ, Green, LE 2001. A longitudinal field trial of the effect of biotin on lameness in dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science 84, 1969–1975.Google Scholar
Hernandez, JA, Garbarino, EJ, Shearer, JK, Risco, CA, Thatcher, WW 2007. Evaluation of the efficacy of prophylactic hoof health examination and trimming during midlactation in reducing the incidence of lameness during late lactation in dairy cows. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 230, 89–93.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Holzhauer, M, Döpfer, D, De Boer, J, Van Schaik, G 2008. Effects of different intervention strategies on the incidence of papillomatous digital dermatitis in dairy cows. Veterinary Record 162, 41–46.Google Scholar
Huijps, K, Hogeveen, H, Lam, TJGM, Huirne, RBM 2009. Preferences of cost factors for mastitis management among Dutch dairy farmers using adaptive conjoint analysis. Preventive Veterinary Medicine 92, 351–359.Google Scholar
Kremer, PV, Nueske, S, Scholz, AM, Foerster, M 2007. Comparison of claw health and milk yield in dairy cows on elastic or concrete flooring. Journal of Dairy Science 90, 4603–4611.Google Scholar
Laven, RA, Logue, DN 2006. Treatment strategies for digital dermatitis for the UK. The Veterinary Journal 171, 79–88.Google Scholar
Leach, KA, Offer, JE, Svoboda, I, Logue, DN 2005. Effects of type of forage fed to dairy heifers: associations between claw characteristics, clinical lameness, environment and behaviour. The Veterinary Journal 169, 427–436.Google Scholar
Leach, KA, Whay, HR, Maggs, CM, Barker, ZE, Paul, ES, Bell, AK, Main, DCJ 2010. Working towards a reduction in cattle lameness: 1. Understanding barriers to lameness control on dairy farms. Research in Veterinary Science 89, 311–317.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Leonard, FC, O'Connell, JM, O'Farrell, KJ 1996. Effect of overcrowding on claw health in first-calved Friesian heifers. British Veterinary Journal 152, 459–472.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Manske, T, Hultgren, J, Bergsten, C 2002a. Prevalence, interrelationships of hoof lesions and lameness in Swedish dairy cows. Preventive Veterinary Medicine 54, 247–263.Google Scholar
Manske, T, Hultgren, J, Bergsten, C 2002b. The effect of claw trimming on the hoof health of Swedish dairy cattle. Preventive Veterinary Medicine 54, 113–129.Google Scholar
Manson, FJ, Leaver, JD 1988. The influence of concentrate amount on locomotion and clinical lameness in dairy cattle. Animal Production 47, 185–190.Google Scholar
Mill, JM, Ward, WR 1994. Lameness in dairy cows and farmers’ knowledge, training and awareness. Veterinary Record 134, 162–164.Google Scholar
Nuss, K 2006. Footbaths: the solution to digital dermatitis? The Veterinary Journal 171, 11–13.Google Scholar
Olmos, G, Boyle, L, Horan, B, Berry, DP, O'Connor, P, Mee, JF, Hanlon, A 2009. Effect of genetic group and feed system on locomotion score, clinical lameness and hoof disorders of pasture-based Holstein–Friesian cow. Animal 3, 96–107.Google Scholar
Onyiro, OM, Offer, J, Brotherstone, S 2008. Risk factors and milk yield losses associated with lameness in Holstein-Friesian dairy cattle. Animal 2, 1230–1237.Google Scholar
Ouweltjes, W, Holzhauer, M, Van der Tol, PPJ, Van der Werf, J 2009. Effects of two trimming methods of dairy cattle on concrete or rubber-covered slatted floors. Journal of Dairy Science 92, 960–971.Google Scholar
Pavlenko, A, Bergsten, C, Ekesbo, I, Kaart, T, Aland, A, Lidfors, L 2011. Influence of digital dermatitis and sole ulcer on dairy cow behaviour and milk production. Animal 5, 1259–1269.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Philipot, JM, Pluvinage, P, Cimarosti, I, Sulpice, P, Bugnard, F 1994. Risk factors of dairy cow lameness associated with housing conditions. Veterinary Research 25, 244–248.Google Scholar
Platz, S, Ahrens, F, Bendel, J, Meyer, HHD, Erhard, MH 2008. What happens with cow behavior when replacing concrete slatted floor by rubber coating: a case study. Journal of Dairy Science 91, 999–1004.Google Scholar
Rouha-Mülleder, C, Iben, C, Wagner, E, Laaha, G, Troxler, J, Waiblinger, S 2009. Relative importance of factors influencing the prevalence of lameness in Austrian cubicle loose-housed dairy cows. Preventive Veterinary Medicine 92, 123–133.Google Scholar
Somers, JGCJ, Frankena, K, Noordhuizen-Stassen, EN, Metz, JHM 2003. Prevalence of claw disorders in Dutch dairy cows exposed to several floor systems. Journal of Dairy Science 86, 2082–2093.Google Scholar
Somers, JGCJ, Frankena, K, Noordhuizen-Stassen, EN, Metz, JHM 2005a. Risk factors for digital dermatitis in dairy cows kept in cubicle houses in The Netherlands. Preventive Veterinary Medicine 71, 11–21.Google Scholar
Somers, JGCJ, Frankena, K, Noordhuizen-Stassen, EN, Metz, JHM 2005b. Risk factors for interdigital dermatitis and heel erosion in dairy cows kept in cubicle houses in The Netherlands. Preventive Veterinary Medicine 71, 23–34.Google Scholar
Telezhenko, E, Lidfors, L, Bergsten, C 2007. Dairy cow preferences for soft or hard flooring when standing or walking. Journal of Dairy Science 90, 3716–3724.Google Scholar
Thomsen, PT, Sørensen, JT, Ersbøll, AK 2008. Evaluation of three commercial hoof-care products used in footbaths in Danish dairy herds. Journal of Dairy Science 91, 1361–1365.Google Scholar
Valeeva, NI, Lam, TJGM, Hogeveen, H 2007. Motivation of dairy farmers to improve mastitis management. Journal of Dairy Science 90, 4466–4477.Google Scholar
Valeeva, NI, Meuwissen, MPM, Oude Lansink, AGJM, Huirne, RBM 2005. Improving food safety within the dairy chain: an application of conjoint analysis. Journal of Dairy Science 88, 1601–1612.Google Scholar
Vanegas, J, Overton, M, Berry, SL, Sischo, WM 2006. Effect of rubber flooring on claw health in lactating dairy cows housed in free-stall barns. Journal of Dairy Science 89, 4251–4258.Google Scholar
Ward, WR 2009. Why is lameness in dairy cows so intractable? The Veterinary Journal 180, 139–140.Google Scholar
Watson, C 2007. Lameness in cattle, Diseases of the skin, pp. 79–97. The Crowood Press Ltd, Ramsbury.Google Scholar
Webster, AJF 2001. Effects of housing and two forage diets on the development of claw horn lesions in dairy cows at first calving and in first lactation. The Veterinary Journal 162, 56–65.Google Scholar