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Wet conditions can cause lameness in dairy herds

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Early spring's muddy, wet conditions produce lameness in dairy herds that can lead to production losses, lower fertility, and greater culling rates.

That's according to South Dakota Cooperative Extension Dairy Specialist Alvaro Garcia, who reminded dairy producers that cow deaths due to lameness or injury increased 60 percent between 1996 and 2007.

"Lameness continues to be the second highest reason to cull in the U.S., right at 16 percent, according to a 20007 National Animal Health Monitoring System report," Garcia said. "Furthermore, a 1997 report from the Farm Animal Welfare Council considers lameness among the best welfare indicators for dairy cattle."

Garcia said producers should be aware of muddy conditions, since mud is among the predisposing causes for cattle lameness.

"Wetness decreases hoof hardness and increases the incidence of i claw lesions, and research by Bor-deras and others has shown that nearly one-third of the total water absorbed by the hoof was during the first hour of exposure to high moisture conditions," said Garcia. "This results in heavier and softer hooves."

Garcia said that when veterinarians and dairy producers try to determine the cause of lameness, they look for the presence of infectious agents such as fusobacterium ne-crophorus and bacteroides mela-ninogenicus.

"Both of these agents can cause foot rot and digital dermatitis or hairy heel warts," said Garcia. "The warts are most likely caused by spirochetes, and the condition is still one of the leading causes for lameness in the U.S. Nearly 62 percent of lameness cases in bred heifers and 49 percent of lameness cases in cows comes from hairy heel warts."

Producers should keep hooves as dry as possible, but Garcia said that can be difficult. It also is not the only problem.

"Finding Ways to decrease the incidence of injury and infectious challenge to the hoof can be accomplished by footbaths and hoof trimming," said Garcia. "Footbaths are used to medicate the feet of cattle and aid in preventing lameness. Hoof trimming helps identify hoof disorders and maintain proper hoof health."

Garcia said that when hooves are not trimmed regularly they can grow unevenly, resulting in weight-bearing changes that can damage the underlying tissues.

"Regrettably, the use of foot baths is not a common practice in the U.S. with only approximately 39 percent of the dairies using them," Garcia said. "The most common medication added to footbaths is copper sulfate, followed by formaldehyde or formalin, and then oxytetracycline."

Copper in footbaths should be added at 2.5 to 5 percent or 62 gallons of water and 26 pounds of copper sulfate, Garcia said, based on 2009 research findings from De-snoyers and others.

"Dairies that use copper sulfate in their footbaths should test soil to check for copper loading," said Garcia. "Another important point is to remind producers that formalin is a solution of roughly 37 percent formaldehyde that can be hazardous to human health, causing irritation of eyes, nose, and throat, and burn the skin."

Producers should use Formalin solution at a rate of 4 percent, such as a solution of 1 gallon of 37 percent formalin and 10 gallons of water.

"The solution in the footbaths should be replaced often and kept free of organic matter since that matter can deactivate the copper in the solution," Garcia said. "In addition, hooves have to be trimmed regularly for weight to be distributed evenly and to' avoid high pressure points that damage the underlying tissues."

Garcia conclude that while 80

Eercent of the dairies in the U.S. oof trim their cows' hooves, professional hoof-trimmers conducted most of the work. The frequency of professional service varies, depending on herd size.

For more information on hoof health and dairy herds, call Garcia at 605-688-5488.



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© 2010 Hutchinson Herald Menno, South Dakota. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from DAS.

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