A study of hoof cracks in grazing cattle — association of age, weight and fatness

Abstract

association of age, weight and fatness.Can. J. Anim. Sci. 75 [25][26][27][28][29]. The data were obtained from cow calf pairs and replacement heifers grazing summer pastures in northwest Alberta. The objectives were to study the association of age, weight, condition score, cow and calf gain on the prevalence, intensity and severity of hoof (sand) cracks and to determine if such cracks affected cow and calf average daily gain. Cows that had cracks were 1.5 yr older, 43 kg heavier and fatter than cows that showed no cracks. The prevalence of sand cracks was 20-21%. Whereas 3.4% of cows and heifers which were I and 2 yr old had cracks, 32.4Vo of the 3-to 5-yr old and47.9% of the > 5-yr-oldcowshadcracks(P < 0.0001). Similarly whlle8.4% of thelighter (< 522 kg)cowshadcracks, 32.3% of theheavier (> 522 kg) cows had cracks (P = 0.003). Discriminant analysis showed that cows with cracks were older, heavier and fatter at the end oi the grazing period. Age of cow, weight and fatness had no effect on intensity or severity of cracks. The presence or absence of cracks had no effect (P > 0.05) on cow or calf gains on pasture.

A Cross-Sectional Epizootiological Study and Risk Assessment of Foot-Related Lesions and Lameness in Intensive Dairy Sheep Farms

“…15.0% of the ewes. Based on horse and cattle studies, inappropriate housing conditions, poor bedding, increased moisture, manure exposition, vitamin and trace mineral deficiencies, poor-quality hoof keratin and hoof conformation, as well as increased age and BCS lead to the disruption of hoof wall integrity and may predispose to hoof wall cracks and injuries [62][63][64][65][66]. Poor wool quality could be linked to a higher prevalence of hoof wall cracks, due to the fact that keratin of both wool and hoof horn have similar low-and highsulfur protein fractions [67][68][69]; however, this was not confirmed by the model applied in our study.…”

Aetiopathogenesis of sandcrack in cattle and its treatment

“…In North America, its prevalence in dairy cattle is very low but around 20% in beef cattle: 60–80% of fissures are found on the lateral claw of the forelimb (Hand et al, 1992). Goonewardene and Hand (1995) identified a variety and combination of risk factors for this lesion: it occurred in older, heavier and fatter cows more towards the end of the outdoor grazing season, and over‐feeding cattle at critical stages of their production, or continuously throughout life, was detrimental to good claw horn growth and function. Other biological factors have been propounded, such as dehydration and consequent increased brittleness of the dorsal wall horn exacerbated by sheer forces dissipated within the claw horn capsule, increased claw size and volume (Clark et al, 2004), and reduced bioavailability of biotin in the diet (Campbell et al, 2000).…”