Associations between claw lesions and reproductive performance of sows in three Greek herds

Lisgara, Marina; Skampardonis, Vassilis; Angelidou, Elisavet; Kouroupides, Stelios; Leontides, Leonidas

doi:10.17221/8416-vetmed

Cited by 11 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 24 publications

(40 reference statements)

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“…Claw lesions are extremely frequent and associated with locomotor disorders [2, 3, 44], compromised longevity [45, 46] and reduced productivity of sows [47–49]. Therefore, prevention is of utmost importance both for maintenance and improvement of the breeding herd’s potential and profitability of the farm.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In these three herds we conducted a larger study whose results have been presented in a series of papers. During the course of the larger study, the farmers became aware of the frequency and severity of sow hoof lesions and their negative effect on productivity [3, 5, 49]. Also, they became aware of the clinical improvement of hoof lesion severity scores and the improvement in reproductive parameters after partially substituting inorganic with organic minerals [30] [68].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Partial substitution, with their chelated complexes, of the inorganic zinc, copper and manganese in sow diets reduced the laminitic lesions in the claws and improved the morphometric characteristics of the hoof horn of sows from three Greek herds

et al. 2016

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BackgroundHoof lesions in sows have been associated with lameness and poor hoof horn quality. The mechanical strength and quality of hoof horn is determined by the density and diameter of horn tubules, which were recently associated with the severity of lesions on the hoof wall of sows. Histologic changes that have previously been described in cases of bovine laminitis, have also been observed in the dermis and epidermis of the sows’ claws. Trace elements, particularly zinc, copper and manganese, occupy important roles as enzyme catalysts in the process of keratin synthesis which determines the quality and the integrity of the hoof epidermis. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the effect of diet supplementation with chelated zinc, copper and manganese, partially substituting their inorganic form, on sow claw health and hoof horn quality assessed by macroscopic, histologic and morphometric examination.ResultsClinically, the total claw lesion score was significantly lower in claws of sows which received the “organic” diet compared to those of sows on the “inorganic” diet. Histologically, lamellar hyperplasia was the most frequently recorded change in the epidermis of the sows’ claws regardless of the diet’s mineral source. The claws of the sows which received the organic diet were more likely to have none or less histologic changes than at least one or more, respectively, compared to those of the sows on the “inorganic” diet. Morphometrically, the density and vertical and horizontal diameters of the horn tubules was significantly higher and smaller, respectively, in the hoof horn of sows which received the “organic” compared to those which received the “inorganic” source diet.ConclusionsPartial substitution of the inorganic zinc, copper and manganese in sows’ diet with their chelated complexes, provided a comparative advantage against a conventional, inorganic mineral source diet, at least under the conditions examined in the current study, in terms of macroscopic, histologic and morphometric criteria, characterizing the health and horn quality status of sows’ hooves.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Partial substitution, with their chelated complexes, of the inorganic zinc, copper and manganese in sow diets reduced the laminitic lesions in the claws and improved the morphometric characteristics of the hoof horn of sows from three Greek herds

et al. 2016

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“…The impaired claw quality has been shown to have significant negative impact on longevity, productive performance and welfare of sows [ 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 ]. The increased awareness of claw quality importance in sow breeding herds has guided researchers to focus on studying the frequency and severity of hoof growth abnormalities and lesions [ 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 ]. Both visual scoring [ 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 14 ] and quantitative measurements [ 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 ] of claw lengths have been employed to detect overgrowth.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Claw Characteristics of Culled Sows from Three Farrow-to-Finish Greek Farms. Part 1: Claw Length Measurements, Lesion Scores and Their Association

Papadopoulos

Chalvatzi

Kroustallas

et al. 2021

Veterinary Sciences

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The aim of the study was to investigate variations in lengths and lesions in claws of culled sows and to evaluate their association. All four feet of 185 sows from three Greek farrow-to-finish farms (Farm A: 57 sows; Farm B: 64 sows; Farm C: 64 sows) were examined for lesions and their lengths were measured. All claw lengths were lower in sows of farm C compared to those from sows of B and A. Claw lengths in sows of farm B were lower compared to those from A for all lateral toes of front feet and for all medial and four out of three lateral toes of rear feet. Sum of length measurements of the main toes of the front feet (SLF) associated with lesions on sole, white line and heel of front feet, while sum of length measurements of the main toes of the rear feet (SLR) associated with all lesions of the rear feet. The lengths of the main toes were correlated with the length of dew claws on front and rear feet. Overall, sows’ claw lesion severity and claw lengths may differ between farms and frequency of lesions is higher in longer claws.

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“…During the visits the authors crosschecked the data by examining a random sample of 20% of the sheets and rescoring the sows. The scoring system was described in detail elsewhere (Lisgara et al, 2015). Briefly, the medial and lateral toes of each foot were individually examined for lesions and scored when sows were lying down (the ventral surface) or standing up (the dorsal surface) in the farrowing crate.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of increased dietary fiber on hoof lesions of loose housed sows

Skampardonis

Lisgara

Tzika

et al. 2018

J Hellenic Vet Med Soc

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ABSTRACT. Loose dry sow housing became mandatory in the European Union from January 2013 onwards. One of the major causes of injuries to sows' hooves and associated lameness is fighting on concrete/slatted flooring at grouping. Previous studies observed that in sows submitted to feed restriction, feed supplemented with dietary fiber reduced the time spent in the standing position and increased the time spent in the lying position. Therefore, we investigated the effect of increased levels of dietary fiber (7.2-7.5% crude fiber/kg dry matter) on the severity of hoof lesions of group housed sows in three Greek swine herds. The feet of 596 sows were initially examined for lesions upon their entry to the lactation facilities. Lesions scored included hoof hyperkeratinization, erosions or cracks and toe and dew claws overgrowths. When exiting the farrowing facilities they were offered recipes with increased dietary fiber throughout one or two subsequent gestations. Thirty-eight percent were re-examined for feet lesions during the first and sixty-two percent during the second lactation after initial examination. The proportion of sows with at least one lesion on any foot, at first scoring, was more than 95% in all herds. The most frequently and severely affected sites were the heel and the elongated toes and dew claws. The increased dietary fiber had no effect on lesion severity on any of the hoof sites considered.

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Associations between claw lesions and reproductive performance of sows in three Greek herds

Cited by 11 publications

References 24 publications

Partial substitution, with their chelated complexes, of the inorganic zinc, copper and manganese in sow diets reduced the laminitic lesions in the claws and improved the morphometric characteristics of the hoof horn of sows from three Greek herds

Partial substitution, with their chelated complexes, of the inorganic zinc, copper and manganese in sow diets reduced the laminitic lesions in the claws and improved the morphometric characteristics of the hoof horn of sows from three Greek herds

Claw Characteristics of Culled Sows from Three Farrow-to-Finish Greek Farms. Part 1: Claw Length Measurements, Lesion Scores and Their Association

Effect of increased dietary fiber on hoof lesions of loose housed sows

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