Focus on Herd Health: Hoof Health

FOCUS ON HERD HEALTH Hoof Health By Angela Rouillard, BFO Senior Policy Advisor

Animal 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

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

Lameness is often classified as arising from either infectious or non-infectious causes. Non-infectious lesions develop without the presence of bacteria, fungi or viruses, while infectious lesions are caused by one or more infectious agents. Non-infectious lesions have the potential to become infected if they are not treated and the foot is exposed to conditions where infectious agents are often present, like manure or mud.

Locomotion or gait scoring can be one of the most effective means of determining lameness in a herd, allowing for early detection of painful claw, foot or leg disorders. Regular observation and scoring of cattle will help producers to monitor the prevalence of lameness in their herd and identify animals that require treatment and, or functional hoof trimming.

LAMENESS CASE STUDY

Randall Martin of Fineline Hoof Care Inc. has been trimming cattle hooves for more than 20 years and has seen an increase in beef farmer clients over the last 10 years. As hoof trimming software has developed, Martin began tracking lameness in these herds and has found some insightful information about hoof health in the average beef herd.

The Situation

In 2013 a producer approached Martin to trim all 57 cows. He found a 37 per cent lesion rate in the herd, including presence of digital dermatitis, sole ulcers, white line lesions, axial fissures and other foot lesions. The producer expanded his herd over the years and Martin has continued to trim all cows annually.

Year Number of cows Lesion rate (%) 2013 57 37 2014 78 6.4 2015 107 5 2016 117 6 2017 121 4 2018 118 3 2019 118 3

The Result

The lesion rate has reduced dramatically in this herd as a result of hoof care and trimming. This is positive from the perspective of animal welfare, but Martin also identified an economic advantage for the producer. Out of 120 cows, the producer reported three open cows in 2016 (that’s why only 117 cows were trimmed). This open rate has remained steady over the following years. The producer notes the cows have been cycling more consistently and standing better for breeding. The calving interval has also narrowed – in 2016 the calving interval was six weeks and by 2019, 90 of the 118 cows calved within four weeks.

Common Hoof Disorders in Beef Cattle Overgrown Hooves

Hoof trimming isn’t a common practice in most beef herds, and it’s typical to see animals in a herd with overgrown hooves or corkscrew claws. This is often the result of the animal’s genetics. To reduce this, it’s recommended not to select bulls with an outside hind claw that is more curved than the inside claw for breeding. Overgrown hooves can cause discomfort and an abnormal gait. The good news is this foot disorder can be corrected through regular trimming.

Claw Injuries

Injuries to the claw are among the most common and painful foot disorders in beef cattle. These can include lacerations, cracks, bruises, fractures, punctures, strains or sprains resulting from trauma to the hoof. Producers should focus on implementing low-stress handling, selecting for calm temperaments and improving management of the environment (e.g. removing sharp objects and stones, providing sufficient bedding in pens and during transport, regular maintenance of fencing). Claw injuries may be treated with pain management medications, antibiotics, cleaning and dressing of the wound, proper blocking by a hoof trimmer or amputation. In extreme circumstances, the animal may require euthanasia.

Toe Abscesses

Some claw injuries may result in an extremely painful toe abscess. This disorder is typically caused by poor handling, hard or abrasive walking surfaces, extended transport time and the development of thin soles due to exposure to moisture. The mechanical damage to the toe due to trauma (see claw injury) results in inflammation and infection, producing an abscess trapped between the foot and the horn. Relieving this pressure provides almost instant relief to the animal. This foot disorder is treated by removing the tip of the toe to relieve pressure and treating with antibiotics as required.

Foot Rot

True foot rot is a bacterial infection between the two claws of the foot typically caused by Fusobacterium necrophorum bacterium that invades damaged or injured feet. Watch for noticeable swelling of the foot that cause the toes to separate. Close inspection will find discharge between the toes and a foul odour. The infection is in the soft tissue of the foot and responds well to antibiotics. Maintaining clean environmental conditions, minimizing risk of injury to the foot and providing even walking surfaces will help prevent foot rot.

Digital Dermatitis

Digital dermatitis is an infectious hoof lesion caused by bacteria that’s more common in dairy cattle, but also present in beef herds. Look for a raw, bright red or black circular patch of inflamed skin above the heel bulb, sometimes accompanied by thick, hairy, wartlike growths. A poorly maintained environment with very wet and dirty conditions is a major contributor to the development of this disorder in a herd. Lesions can become very painful if not treated early. Producers should regularly walk pens and inspect animals to catch these lesions in early stages of development. Animals can be treated with topical antibiotics and environmental conditions should be improved where possible to prevent reoccurrence.

Prevention

Here are some management tips for preventing hoof disorders. • Ensure proper transport including adequate stocking density, bedding, non-slip surfaces, etc. • Optimize stocking density in pens, allowing sufficient bunk space and pen area for each animal • Properly design and maintain processing and handling facilities and equipment • Train employees on low-stress handling techniques • Maintain and landscape pens to ensure proper drainage for clean, dry surfaces • Provide a properly formulated ration, ensuring adequate trace minerals are available, to aid in hoof strength and integrity, and promote healing and tissue repair

Treatment

With rising concerns about antimicrobial use and resistance, it is important to accurately identify the cause of lameness. For example, it is commonly assumed that all lame beef cattle have foot rot, resulting in the administration of antibiotics to treat the animal. However, in many instances, the lameness is due to another infectious or non-infectious cause and antibiotics may have little or no effect. Consulting a hoof trimmer or veterinarian to determine the cause of lameness will help producers make the right treatment decisions and also provide guidance on preventing future foot disorders.

Humane on-farm euthanasia must be considered when animal welfare is severely compromised and the animal is not expected to recover. OB

April 11, 2020

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Farmers can feed cattle essential oil blends and organic acids without any negative impacts on animal performance or beef quality characteristics. That’s the outcome of a multi-year study by Professor Ben Bohrer of the University of Guelph’s Department of Food Science, who looked at the impact of replacing antibiotics and ionophores in cattle diets with feed additives like essential oil blends and benzoic acid.

“This is an important finding – you can feed alternatives and not expect any off-flavours in the meat or changes in storability or sensory attributes,” says Bohrer.

The sector is actively seeking alternatives to antibiotics that will maintain the health, welfare and production efficiency of beef cattle while also contributing to decreased antimicrobial use.

The project included a live animal component looking at growth performance and feed efficiency, as well as a focus on fresh beef that evaluated shelf-life in whole muscle and ground beef products and sensory attributes like flavour and tenderness.

Meat from three different groups of animals from the University of Guelph’s Elora Research Station was tested first for colour and lipid stability, and then went through a sensory testing panel. According to Bohrer, panel participants received two weeks of training around all the parameters of interest and were then ultimately asked to score samples based on tenderness, flavour, juiciness and off-flavour. In 2017, five groups of steers were each fed a common high moisture corn and alfalfa silage based diet with a different antimicrobial supplement: control (no added antimicrobials), traditional ionophore/antibiotic, benzoic acid, essential oil, and a combination of both oil and acid.

This was repeated in 2018, but with a minor change: two different commercially available blends of essential oils were tested both by themselves and in combination with the acid to check for performance impacts. “We found no difference between the blends. It was similar to the 2017 results which helped further confirm that we wouldn’t see any differences

(between antimicrobials and the alternatives),” he says. “The results were shockingly

consistent, which means producers can be confident to feed these products.”

Results from 2019 are still being analyzed. That trial included feeding the benzoic acid in combination with a live yeast culture, teaming Bohrer’s efforts with work being done by Dr. Katie Wood of Guelph’s Department of Animal Biosciences. According to Bohrer, the antimicrobial properties of essential oils and benzoic acids have already shown some success in boosting immune systems in poultry and pigs as livestock farmers move away from antibiotic use. “If you think you will have health challenges (in your herd) or ruminal acidosis and would traditionally want to feed products like Rumensin or Tylan, maybe you can try to steer away from those in the diet and feed products with similar antimicrobial properties or rumen-altering properties,” he adds.

The alternative products are currently slightly more expensive than traditional antimicrobials, but since inclusion levels are fairly small – one gram of essential oil blend per head per day and benzoic acid at 0.5 per cent of the dietary inclusion – producer feed costs are not expected to be significantly higher.

And while meat from animals given antibiotics is safe and not different than meat from animals not given antibiotics, antibioticresistant bacteria can be produced during livestock production. This makes enhanced antimicrobial stewardship important for the future of livestock farming.

Canadian rules governing the use of antibiotics in livestock production tightened in December 2018. For example, farmers now need a veterinary prescription to purchase medicated feed as well as antibiotics medically important for human health and feed mills can no longer sell bags of bulk medication for onfarm mixing.

Beef Farmers of Ontario funded the growth performance and carcass characteristics portion of the project. The research was supplemented by support from the Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance (formerly the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs - University of Guelph Partnership) to evaluate meat quality and beef retail shelf life.

Bohrer also received a Weston Seeding Food Innovation Grant to fund the sensory panel to determine consumer reaction to the meat from cattle raised using the oil blend and acid additives. OB This article is provided by Livestock Research Innovation Corporation as part of LRIC’s ongoing efforts to drive innovation in livestock production and report on Canadian livestock research developments and outcomes. Essential Oil Blends, Organic Acids Viable Antimicrobial Alternative, Study Results Show By Lilian Schaer for Livestock Research Innovation Corporation