Dr. Ernest Hovingh presented this material for DAIReXNET on October 8, 2012.

1. Preventing Lameness
in Dairy Cattle
from the inside out…
…and the outside in.
Ernest Hovingh eph1@psu.edu
Dept. of Veterinary & Biomedical Sciences Pennsylvania State University

2. Dealing with lameness…
• The P-I-M approach
–Prevent lame cows
–Identify lame cows
–Manage/treat lame cows

3. Why does lameness occur?
• From the inside out…
– „Internal factors‟ affecting
hoof health (genetics, laminitis,
loss of cushioning, excessive
pressure)
• From the outside in…
– „External factors‟ affecting
hoof health

4. Why does lameness occur?
• Physiological…
– Production of hoof tissue
• Mechanical…
– Forces, pressures and
stresses affecting
hoof health

5. Metabolic disorders Nutrition
• Milk fever • Lack of effective fiber
• Ketosis • Poor feeding management
• Incorrect forage:concentrate ratio
• Poor rumen buffering
• Weight loss
Death of “gram negative” bacteria
Infectious diseases Endotoxin release Infectious claw disease
• Digital dermatitis
• Metritis
Changes in blood circulation in claw • Septic arthritis
• Mastitis
• Foot rot
Laminitis
Genetics
• Weakened claw capsule • Conformation
Environment & • Horn quality
• Poor quality horn formation
management • Breakdown of support system in the claw Other?
• Trauma & handling
• Trimming
• Heat stress / cow comfort
• Cleanliness
LAMENESS

6. A complicated puzzle
• Cow-to-cow variation
• Season-to-season variation
• Farm-to-farm variation
• Regional variation

7. P3 & the claw capsule
P3 Claw
capsule
P3

8. Different areas of the corium
• Tissue
between P3
Coronary band & heel
& claw
capsule that Hoof wall
„makes‟ the
claw capsule White line
Sole
Photo courtesy of C. Mülling, Berlin

9. Why does it matter?
• Unhealthy/damaged corium = poor quality/
defective claw tissue (sole, heel, wall, etc.) =
more susceptible to infection, mechanical
damage, etc.

10. Interrupted production of sole tissue
P3
Corium
Sole

11. Sole ulcer
P3
Corium
Sole

12. Damage to the corium
• Pressure (+/- bruising)
reduces blood flow to
corium
• Interaction of trimming, P3
housing, nutrition, heat
stress, hygiene, handling,
etc.

13. Healthy feet – from the outside in…
• “External” factors affecting the quality/
health of the hoof:
– Cow comfort
– Animal handling & movement
– Trimming
– Nutrition
– Heat stress
– Hygiene & foot bathing

14. 1. Cow comfort
• Excessive standing  prolonged
pressure on corium  poor quality hoof
tissue produced by corium

15. 1. Cow comfort
• Access to stalls
– Stocking density
– Time away from pen
• Condition/comfort of stalls
– Stall size/dimensions
– Improper freestall/tiestall structure
– Uncomfortable resting surface
– Poor stall management

16. Access to stalls
• Stocking density
– Overcrowding reduces resting time
14 Lying in stall
13 Standing in alleys
12
Hours/day
11
10
9
8
7
6
5
100% 109% 120% 133% 150%
Stocking density (cows/stalls)
Fregonesi et al. J Dairy Sci. 90(7):3349-

17. Access to stalls
• Stocking density
– Overcrowding reduces resting time
(Fregonesi et al, 2007)
– Reduces available feeding space
– NFACC Code of practice (Canada)
 1.2 cows/stall max
– UK/EU?  require
1.1 stalls/cow!
Taking Advantage of Natural Behavior…
http://tinyurl.com/eXtensionarticle1
Credit: Dan McFarland

18. Access to stalls
• Stocking density – dry & transition cows
– Even more critical than lactating cows
– Strongly suggest staying under 100% -
definitely not over!
…Pen Moves and Facility Designs…
tinyurl.com/eXtensionarticle2

19. ®
HOBO
dataloggers

20. Cow 1646 - Total Lying Time
16
14
12
Lying Time
10
(9.5 hr)
8
6
4
20 after dry off
Dry period
2
10 day pre-calving
Post Calving
0
38794 38804 38814 38824 38834 38844 38854 38864 38874
Date

21. Cow 1448 - Total Lying Time
18
16
(15.2 hr)
14
12
Lying Time
10
(Cow 1646) (9.5 hr)
8
6
20 after dry off
4
Dry Period
2
10 pre-calving
post-calving
0
40025 40035 40045 40055 40065 40075 40085 40095
Date

22. Calving Ease
10 days pre-calving
1 3
(Unassisted) (Medium pull)
Avg. # lying bouts per day 7.3 6.9
Avg. length of bout 2.1 1.7
Total lying time 12.3 hr. 10.9 hr.
Pilot data, Penn State Veterinary Extension

23. Time away from pen/stalls
• “Time out-of-pen”  max. ~3 hr./day
– Include time in headlocks/palpation rail for
management purposes

24. Time spent out of pen for milking: 14 cows, milked 3X; four separate
recordings, over 4 months.
Cook & Nordlund. Veterinary Journal. 179(3):360-

25. Photo: M. Ventorp, SLU

27. Condition/comfort of stalls
• Stall size, structure & condition that
allows cows to:
– Get in, lie down, get up, get out…(easily!)

28. Goal: 80-90% (or more!)
of the cows in the stalls
should be lying down
If less than ~75%, lameness
prevalence in pen is likely >20%
(Cook et al, 2004)

29. Condition/comfort of stalls
• You don‟t need a measuring tape…

30. Condition/comfort of stalls
• You don‟t need a measuring tape…

32. Improper stall structure/design
Hovinghcowgettingupvideo1.avi

33. Uncomfortable resting surface

34. “Cows spent 2.3 less hrs/day lying in freestalls when the
level of sand was 5.4 inches below the curb vs. „full‟
stalls. On average, cows spent 25 fewer minutes lying
down in freestalls for every inch below the level of the
curb.”
Drissler, M., et al. JDS. 2005

35. Graphic: D. McFarland, PSU

38. Sand bedding on asphalt stall base

43. Outer hoof wall
P3
Lamina (corium)

45. 2. Animal handling/movement
• Poor/improper handling & movement 
increased mechanical stress & trauma 
increased wear & damage to weight-
bearing area of foot

46. The floor-foot interaction
• Weight of cow
• Compressibility/hardness of floor
• Texture of floor
- macro & micro
• Other material between floor & claw
- abrasiveness
- friction
• Shape/conformation/hardness of foot
• Motion of cow – speed, turning, etc.

47. The floor-foot interaction
Hardness: resistance to
indentation/deformation, resistance to
friction/abrasion

48. The floor-foot interaction
Hardness: resistance to indentation/deformation,
resistance to friction/abrasion

49. Force Exerted on Weight-Bearing Area
1,400 lb. cow
Weight 7.75 in2/foot
Distribution Standing Walking
Front (50%) 45.2 lb/in2 90.4 lb/in2
Rear (50%) 45.2 lb/in2 90.4 lb/in2
31.5 lbs
(~.35 in2)

50. Mechanical stress/damage
Prior to trimming After trimming
Approximate outline of claws [added]
van der Tol et al., JDS 87:1732-

53. Freestalls
Travel lanes
Parlor Holding pen
X

57. The floor-foot interaction

58. The floor-foot interaction

59. Friction/abrasion
Hoof wall
White line
Sole

60. Friction/abrasion

61. Rotational shear stress

62. Case farm
• 75-cow dairy, ~25-30 lame cows in the
past year (some with repeat episodes)
• Somewhat more common in 2nd and greater
lactation animals; no DIM trend; more cases in
late summer/early fall; occasional case in dry
cows
• High proportion of cases were white line
abscesses in zone 3

63. Case farm
• Zone 3 abscesses

64. Case farm
• Occasional toe abscess or sole ulcer
• Very little evidence of sole hemorrhage,
sole ulcers, digital dermatitis, foot rot, etc.
• Relatively shallow heels on most cows
• Freestalls (75+) with access to exercise
paddocks – good stall usage; minimal
heat stress abatement

65. Case farm
• Flat parlor (old tiestall barn) – milk
½ herd at a time freestalls
step
step
small
Flat milking „parlor‟
ramp

66. Case farm

67. Case farm

68. Case farm

69. Rotation of leg while moving

70. 90o turn, not hurried
Hovinghwalkvideo1.avi

71. Rotation of leg while moving

72. 180o hard turn, hurried
Hovinghwalkvideo2.avi

73. Animal handling
• Calm & slow! (No prods, dogs, or hollerin‟)

74. Exiting stall
Hovinghwalkvideo3.avi

75. Exiting stall

76. Animal handling/movement
• Technique used to move animals can
have a significant impact on hoof wear,
and cause damage to claw tissues
– Getting cows out of stalls improperly
Modified from: nottotallyrad.blogspot.com
– Moving cows down
alleyways, around
corners
– Causing animals t
to crowd/shove/
push other animals

77. Case farm
freestalls
• Animal movement
step
step
small
Flat milking „parlor‟
ramp

78. 3. Trimming/lame cow care
• Unbalanced claws  uneven weight
distribution  (excessive) pressure on
corium  production of unhealthy/
compromised sole/white line
From Toussaint Raven
“Cattle Footcare and Claw Trimming”

79. Optimize weight distribution
From Toussaint Raven
“Cattle Footcare and Claw Trimming”

80. Cow trimming/lame cow care
• When / Which cows are trimmed?
• Regular trimming of every cow - at least
once per lactation cycle – preferably twice
• Some cows may require very little trimming!
– Clinically lame cows
should be „treated‟
within 24 hours

81. Cow trimming/lame cow care
• Who trims the cows?
– Trained, on-farm person
• Deal with lame cows within 24 hrs!
– Vet
• At least for advanced medical/surgical cases
– Professional hoof trimmer
• Primarily for routine/maintenance trimming

82. Cow trimming/lame cow care
• How are they trimmed?
– Flat soles should result
in less pressure on any
one point of the corium
(see previous webinar)
– Cows should NOT
routinely become lame
after trimming

83. Don’t go to far
around the side!!
¼ +”

84. Toe too short…
NOT good!!

85. Don’t overtrim the Sole is dished and
axial (inside) wall! very thin (ouch!!)

86. 4. Nutrition
• Rumen acidosis  death of bacteria in
rumen  bacteria release “vaso-active”
substances  absorbed into bloodstream
 affect blood flow in foot
 affect ability of corium to
produce healthy hoof tissue.
from Bovine Anatomy – An Illustrated Text. Budras, Habel, et al.

87. Nutrition
• “Different” rations: (1) on paper, (2) as fed,
(3) as eaten, (4) as digested…
• Hopefully they‟re all the same, but…
• Paper ration:
– Excessive carbohydrate/starch (Thoefner et al., 2004)
– Starch, starch:fiber ratio, etc.

88. Nutrition & rumen acidosis
• Ration as mixed/delivered/fed; as eaten
– Lack of effective fiber (particle length)
• Chopped too finely
• Overmixed
– Sorting of ration
components by
cows

89. Sorting feed at the bunk
Hovinghfeedsortvideo.avi

90. Nutrition & rumen acidosis
• Penn State Particle
Penn State Particle
Separator Separator Resources
– As delivered to the bunk tinyurl.com/particleseparator
– At intervals after feeding
(eg. 2, 4, 6 hours, etc.)
– If significant (>4 or 5%)
amount of variability is
observed, sorting is
occurring!

91. Don‟t forget about youngstock!
• Need a balanced, high quality ration
– Byproducts, waste feed, and feed refusals??

93. 5. Heat stress abatement
• Heat stress  increased standing time 
pressure on corium… AND/OR
• Heat stress  rumen acidosis  altered
blood flow in feet…
• … defective/ poor quality claw tissue
(sole, white line, hoof wall, etc.)  more
susceptible to infection, mechanical
damage, etc.

94. 5. Heat stress abatement

95. 5. Heat stress abatement
Maximum:
30 feet for a 3‟ (dia.) fan
~30° 40 feet for a 4‟ (dia.) fan
Airspeed:
3-5 mph over cows
Minimum:
8 feet

97. 6. Keep the feet clean & dry!
Photo credit: J. Shearer

98. 6. Keep the feet clean & dry!

99. 6. Keep the feet clean & dry!

100. Preventing lameness…
• Cow comfort
• Animal handling/movement
• Trimming
• Nutrition
• Heat stress
• Hygiene

101. Ernest Hovingh
eph1@psu.edu
Thank you!