FOCUS ON HERD HEALTH Hoof Health
By Angela Rouillard, BFO Senior Policy Advisor
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nimal welfare is a top priority for Ontario’s beef producers. Proper identification and management of pain in beef cattle is an issue of increasing concern for the industry and public. Lameness is a common health and welfare issue for cattle, and if left untreated can lead to serious complications and impact a farm’s profitability. Beef producers must become more familiar with lameness in their herds and take precautions to prevent and treat lameness or foot disorders.
What is Lameness? Lameness is leg or foot pain that affects how cattle move. When lameness is identified in a herd, it’s important to first find the cause of the pain. Lameness negatively affects both animal welfare and performance (growth and reproductive), because animals are often reluctant to rise, stand or walk, and will spend less time eating and drinking due to the pain. Prevention and treatment of lameness in dairy cattle has been an industry priority for many years and the use of preventive measures, like hoof trimming and footbaths, is common practice. Prevalence of lameness in beef cattle is not well documented, but it’s not insignificant. Data from the U.S. shows that the prevalence of lameness in beef feedlots ranges between 1.6 and 16 per cent in healthy feedlot pens and between 33 and 53 per cent in hospital pens. Lameness in beef cows and bulls assessed at time of slaughter was reported as 31 per cent. Lameness translates to economic losses from lower cattle performance, higher costs for labour, management and treatment, and decreased value. Studies have shown that lame feedlot cattle grow substantially slower than non-lame cattle (1.75 lb/day vs. 2.95 lb/day) and that steers diagnosed with foot rot can take up to two weeks longer to reach slaughter weight. In a Nebraska feedlot study, it was estimated that a lame animal decreased in value by 47 per cent compared to the original purchase price. Additional research has assessed the impact on sale price with varying degrees of lameness. An animal classified as mildly lame had a decreased sale price of 3 per cent while an animal classified as severely lame had a decreased sale price of 20 per cent.
Increasing awareness and understanding of lameness in the beef industry is crucial to improving the health and welfare of cattle and the profitability of Ontario’s beef farms. Lameness has been studied in great detail in the dairy industry and research has shown that non-lame dairy cows produce more milk with better fertility rates, resulting in greater profitability. One major factor in this relationship is that lameness prevents cows from standing 26
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and discourages walking to feed and water. This is also true for beef cattle where the prevention of lameness in beef herds would have similar benefits in addition to improved welfare, including greater milk production to provide improved nutrition for calves, increased average daily gain of calves and improved herd fertility.
Risk Factors and Assessment of Lameness Several risk factors* are associated with lameness in the beef industry. Animal Factors • Age: older animals are more likely to be lame • Production: high levels of production sometimes cause foot issues, such as laminitis • Behaviour: flighty animals may be more prone to slips and falls, resulting in trauma to claws • Genetics: some animals may have weaker bones or hooves Nutrition • Insufficient minerals: certain minerals are required to maintain integrity of the hoof • Proteins: excess protein or high sugar grasses in early spring and late fall • Subacute ruminal acidosis and other metabolic disorders Disease and Infection • Digestive diseases: including laminitis • Respiratory diseases • Infectious pathogens: including bacteria, viruses and fungi Management • Animal handling: low-stress handling will help to prevent slips and falls and other hoof trauma • Feeding and bunk management: allow appropriate space for animals, prevent behaviours like reaching • Transport: duration, trailer conditions • Behaviour: bullers, heifers and heat cycles • Hoof trimming: lack of or improper hoof trimming Environment • Cleanliness and sanitation: high presence of manure or unsanitary conditions that may harbour diseases, bacteria and viruses • Housing: indoor/outdoor, pasture/paddock conditions • Flooring: slats, concrete, slippery surfaces • Seasonal: presence of mud, wet conditions, snow and ice resulting in reduced traction *Adapted from Zinpro Cattle Lameness book
