FAIL. Animal Welfare vs Sustainability. 8,776 cows in 67 UK herds. Mean lameness prevalence of 39.1%!!!!!!

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1 Using First Step to Solve Dairy Herd Lameness Problems Nigel B. Cook MRCVS School of Veterinary Medicine University of Wisconsin-Madison Animal Welfare vs Sustainability FAIL Main et al., 2010 JDS 93: ,776 cows in 67 UK herds Mean lameness prevalence of 39.1%!!!!!! Lameness control is fundamentally important in modern herd management. It affects EVERYTHING a cow does! First Step consists of 20 different assessors The consultant can choose which assessors to complete Each assessor produces a dedicated report for the farm and forms one part of a complete herd lameness investigation Locomotion Scoring Assess Herd Lameness Prevalence Evaluate Financial Loss Infectious v Noninfectious Hoof- Trimming Assessment Technique & Capacity Preventive, neutral or harmful? Lesion Identification Lesion Analysis What are the most common lesions? Ulcer v WLD Hoof Hygiene & Footbathing Adequate hoof disinfection to suit the environmental challenge Hoofbath Design Cow Comfort Standing Time Heat Abatement Walking Surfaces Trauma Slippery Concussion Wear Feeding and Avoiding SARA Trace elements and vitamins Problem List Action Plan 5

2 Locomotion Scoring Hoof- Trimming Assessment Indicators that there are problems with the trimming program Assess Herd Lameness Prevalence Evaluate Financial Loss Technique & Capacity Preventive, neutral or harmful? Lesion Identification! Cows shouldn t be more lame when they leave the chute than they were when they entered!! The trimming chute shouldn t look like a scene from a Godfather movie at the end of the day!! An increase in white line disease and toe ulcers a few weeks after trimming White Line Fissure or Abscess / Toe Ulcer Faults with hoof-trimming technique are a common problem in large freestall dairy herds Most Common Trimming Issues! Trimming the toes too short! Removal of too much sole and heel horn leading to thin soles, white line disease and toe ulcers! Problem of adapting to hoof wear in an expanding herd! Excessive removal of outer wall horn! Removal of the axial wall in the toe region! Poor treatment of existing lesions! Poor hoof trimming technique

3 Why was this foot wrapped? What should you do? The correct treatment for this lesion 17 Are there tell tale signs of poor trimming? Are the hoof lesions recorded related to over-trimming? Discuss the issues with your trimmer and give them the chance to rectify the problem If the trimming problems persist, seek an alternative hooftrimmer Member of the Hoof Trimmers Association Trained at the Master Hoofcare Program or Dairyland Hoofcare Institute in the US 18

4 Structuring Your Approach Infectious Non-Infectious Leg Hygiene Manure removal Transition Footbaths Sole Ulcers Standing Time Risks Time Budget Stall Comfort Heat Stress Transition White Line Disease Flooring Risks Trauma Slipping Wear Concussion 20 Digital Dermatitis = Heel Warts The Hoofbath Dilemma Hoofbaths are essential for hoof health in modern freestall facilities, yet we know little about how to design or operate them We only seem to ask What s the best chemical to use? 22 Chemicals Used in Hoofbaths Automated Hoofbaths 8""296'(7) :,) 8""201#/) *,)!"%$) *,) ;&13%#%&</=></) *,)!"#$%&'() *+,) 6'(7)01&2%3/) *,) -"../#)01&2%3/) 45,) Data from 71 herds from First Step Evaluations, From Zinpro Corporation 23 24

5 Automated Cleaning? Hoofbath Questions What is the optimal design? Location Wash and treatment bath, or treatment bath alone? Dimensions and step-in height? 25 Holding Area Entry 26 Parlor Exit Lane Transfer Lane Split Exit Lane 29 30

6 Location - Guidelines Wash baths are supposed to: Must be able to divert cows around the bath when not in use Preferably level area Easy access to fast flowing water and dedicated waste flow Preferably a single bath per farm Under-floor heating to prevent freezing Clean the feet off before they enter the treatment bath Make the cow defecate before she enters the treatment bath My preference is the transfer lane Hoofbath Contamination on 3 Farms 34 Recommendation: &#" &!" %#"!"#$%#&'()-./0".1%23&)34) /)1()8#&,07)!"#$%#&'() %!" $#" Forget the Wash Bath! $!" #"!" '(!" )!" *!" +!" $!!" $$!" $%!" $&!" $,!" $#!" $(!" $)!" $*!" $+!" -./0" *+&,#) 35 Data from 71 herds from First Step Evaluations, From Zinpro Corporation

7 Hoofbath Dimension Study Are Two Dunks Better than One? Dunk Analysis 40 41

8 Design Recommendation Structuring Your Approach Length feet Width inches with sloped side walls Step-in height inches Slope side walls to 36 wide at 36 inches above the floor of the bath with solid side walls to 6 feet 12 long x 20 wide x 4 deep = 50 gallons Infectious Leg Hygiene Manure removal Transition Footbaths Sole Ulcers Standing Time Risks Time Budget Stall Comfort Heat Stress Non-Infectious Transition White Line Disease Flooring Risks Trauma Slipping Wear Concussion 43 Think of the floor in terms of what it does to the cow! Does it cause trauma long distance, excessively rough, exposed aggregate, excessively grooved, slats Does it make them slip smooth, poor grooving, especially around crossovers and turns Does it cause wear long distance and made of concrete Does it cause concussion long distance on concrete WLD:SU Ratio > 2:1 46 Holding Area Exit/Entry Classic White Line Abscess 48

9 Every cow milking in the herd passes over this area 3 times a day The Perfect Groove 54

10 A Nice Job! We need to spend more time looking at aggregate size, groove size and location, finish etc! wide " deep 3 1/4 OC Only one study has shown a lameness improvement with rubber in the pens (Vanegas et al., JDS 89: 4251, 2006)

11 White Line Abscess - Lateral Claw, Front Feet Agri-Trac www. Agritraction.com Structuring Your Approach Infectious Leg Hygiene Manure removal Transition Footbaths Non-Infectious Transition Sole Ulcers White Line Disease Standing Time Risks Flooring Risks Time Budget Stall Comfort Heat Stress Trauma Slipping Wear Concussion

12 Funded by the Ira and Ineva Reilly Baldwin Wisconsin Idea Endowment 68 WLD:SU Ratio < 1: The Sand/Mattress Difference Data From 62 Wisconsin Dairy Herds Factor Mattress Herds Sand Herds Sand Benefit $/100 Cows RHA Milk (lb) 24,260 25,926 +1,666 20,000 Lameness Prevalence (%) ,650 SCC ( 000/ml) ,000 Turnover Rate (%) ,600 Cow Cases Mastitis (%) ,530 Total Benefit ($/100cows) 40,780 71

13 Sand vs Mattress: Resting Behavior '&#!!"#$%&'()"*+,%-.(/*012 '>#% ''#" :9+; < '>#A ''#& J#L %#& "#$ '#" '#!! ()*+,-.*/0 1-()*+, *3+ Remove loops and platform Extend side wall Re-pour curb Fill with sand Fit new loops and single beam system

14 80 Locomotion Score Response *!" $!!*" $!#!" Locomotion Scoring Hoof- Trimming Assessment Lesion Analysis Hoof Hygiene & Footbathing Cow Comfort Walking Surfaces Feeding and!"#$"%&'()*+' )!" (!" '!" &!" %!" $!" #!" Assess Herd Lameness Prevalence Evaluate Financial Loss Technique & Capacity Preventive, neutral or harmful? Lesion Identification What are the most common lesions? Infectious v Noninfectious Ulcer v WLD Adequate hoof disinfection to suit the environmental challenge Hoofbath Design Standing Time Heat Abatement Trauma Slippery Concussion Wear Avoiding SARA Trace elements and vitamins!" #" $" %" &" '" +,-,".-,/0" Problem List Action Plan! Questions?