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The puncture force of hoof horn from New Zealand Friesian and Jersey Cross Friesian dairy cattle breeds
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 22 November 2017
Extract
Globally up to 60% of dairy cattle can become lame at least once a year (Vermunt and Greenough, 2005). Sole lesions have been found to be one of the most common causes of lameness in both NZ (Tranter and Morris, 1991; Chesterton, 2004) and the UK (Kossaibati et al., 1999; Logue, 1999). In most studies it was found that these hoof horn lesions develop in postpartum animals and in hind claws (Greenough and Vermunt, 1991) and that these are associated with a significant reduction in the puncture force of the hoof (Winkler and Margerison, 2003). There has been some anecdotal reference to lower levels of lameness and harder hoof horn occurring in Jersey and Jersey cross bred cattle, compared with Friesian dairy cattle. However no studies have measured or compared the structural strength of hoof horn within these breeds. The aim of this research was to assess the force to puncture of the hoof horn from differing claws and regions of claws in prepartum New Zealand Friesian (F) and Jersey cross Friesian (Jersey x) dairy breeds.
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- Copyright © The British Society of Animal Science 2008