Hooves - English edition

Lame cows are a sign that preventive hoof care can be improved and that earlier treatment would

UK / Ireland edition

Hooves A practical guide for hoof health

Hooves

‘Incre a s e d ma na g e m e nt a tte nti on to hooves has an

i m m e di a te i m pa c t on your w allet, but also on the

p re s s u re o f wo r k . The fi r s t step on the road to

i m pro v e m e nt i s responding promptly to signals. ’

discomfort. Hooves offers practical help in for achieving good hoof health for your animals.

Hoof disorders result in cows suffering from pain, insufficient rest, inadequate intake of feed and water, and an increased susceptibility to many other disorders. Production can decline and the animal may have difficulty getting in calf. Hoof problems are also associated with an increased incidence of milk fever, feed problems and mastitis.

This guide will teach you how to minimise the risks before the first symptoms occur, and help you to respond in a timely and effective fashion to the first signs of hoof problems and increased risks.

Use Hooves to improve the hoof health of your animals; don’t let hoof problems on your farm get out of hand!

Hooves is part of the Cow Signals series. Cow Signals presents practical knowledge about animal-oriented cattle husbandry in an accessible fashion.

co pr py ot rig ec h te t d

be beneficial. Good hoof management saves you a lot of time and money and spares the cow

Hooves A practical guide for hoof health Jan Hulsen

www.roodbont.com

www.vetvice.com

www.cowsignals.com

Author Jan Hulsen, Vetvice® Editor Ton van Schie English translation Language Centre Wageningen UR

Special thanks to: Gerard Cramer, Dick de Lange, Jos Noordhuizen, Kees Peeters, Jan Rietjes, Nico Vreeburg, Bertjan Westerlaan, hundreds of farmers, many vets, farm consultants and feed consultants.

For books and customized editions:

© Jan Hulsen 2012

The Netherlands

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Final editing, English edition Sue Stewart, Stewart Translations

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Credits

Content editing, English edition Sarah Bailie, Keith Cutler

publisher.

In cooperation with: • Menno Holzhauer (Animal Health Service Deventer) • Joep Driessen (Vetvice®) • Piet Kloosterman (PTC+, Oenkerk) • Lucas Talsma (Agrifirm)

The author and publisher have made every effort

Photography Jan Hulsen

ISBN: 978-90-75280-00-5

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Summary

4

1 Basic principles

6 6 6 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 14 15 16

3 Hoof treatments Prevention is worthwhile Intervention Preventive trimming Trimming in three steps Curative trimming Attaching blocks

4 Monitoring

2 Day-to-day practice

Yearling heifers Heifers Cows in lactation Dry cow management The cow in the herd Fights for dominance and housing

17

18 18 19 20 21 22 23

24 24 25 26 27 28 29

Using information Continue to improve The economic side Observing cows in the milking parlour Management attention Monitor risks Monitor hoof health Record hoof data Monitor lameness Avoid ‘farm blindness’

30 30 31 31 32 33 33 34 35 36 38

Useful information Index

39 40

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Success factors 1, 2 and 3 Success factor 4: early and effective intervention Result and monitoring Hooves are home-grown Structure and function The ideal Conditions for healthy hooves Hoof haemorrhages/laminitis Hoof load External hazards Tackle the source The main infectious disorders Load-related, nutritional and metabolic disorders

Contents

Contents

3

CHAPTER 2

Day-to-day practice

Every group of cattle on the farm requires a different approach to their management, including their hoof management. Understanding the risks

If young stock grow up healthy, they will have a stronger start to their lives as dairy cattle. Too many young cattle already have problems with hoof disorders.

18

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specific to the various groups

Yearling heifers The rearing of young stock lays the foundation for healthy, sustainable production. During this process, healthy and well-formed hooves should be one of the management aims. Organise the conditions in such a way that healthy hooves develop.

Advice: l Make sure that fresh and palatable feed is always available (with sufficient fibre content). l Ensure a correct mineral intake.

l Implement

ration changes gradually over the course of at least a week. l Provide clean and spacious accommodation, avoid crowding. l Provide comfortable and clean cubicles. l Trim hooves when the outer claw is higher than the inner claw. l Make sure that the pasterns of the cattle are clean. l Monitor the hooves when cattle are standing and lying. l Treat hoof infections.

and how they respond to treatment and preventive actions helps the livestock manager to spot signs better and to prevent problems in the future.

Here the slurry scraper moves from milking cows to young stock; this can also transmit hoof infections between animals.

Ensure that hooves are healthy at calving.

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than confident, healthy heifers. They eat rapidly and chew little. In general, heifers run a higher risk of feed imbalance and rumen acidosis. This risk is larger when the ration is being sorted by the cows, and when concentrates are fed separately, i.e. in a dispenser.

The feed intake of heifers is lower (25% less) than that of adult cattle. This implies that they should get smaller meals, and smaller total amounts of easily fermented feed (i.e. concentrates).

Due to a thinner digital cushion, the heifer’s hoof is less able to absorb shocks. Hoof problems make it even more difficult for a heifer to find her place in the herd.

Introduce a heifer into the herd at least six weeks before her expected calving date, when she still has the strength and the time to deal with stress and changes. After trimming their hooves, bring heifers in groups to mix with the dry cows having the same calving date.

Monitor the heifers’ hoof health, udder health and vigour.

If good and appetising feed is always available for every cow, there will be few fights for dominance in the herd. A shy heifer can eat safely and will have a good intake of the desired feed. If you have self-locking yokes, make sure that the heifers become accustomed to them. Ensure that feed is pushed close enough to the animals, because heifers have shorter necks.

Monitor the rumen fill and production of heifers and score their hoof disorders.

Day-to-day practice

Heifers Newly-calved heifers are a high risk group for feed errors and laminitis (see page 11). Changes in metabolism and hormone balance have relatively large effects on heifers. Pain and inflammation around the birth canal after calving reduce feed intake and lower immunity. Additional reasons for heifers standing too much and not eating and drinking enough are social uncertainty, fear of unknown cows and a shortage of lying places. The introduction of a heifer into the herd and cubicles can cause a great deal of stress and problems for the animal.

Heifers that are ill at ease and those that do not feel well eat much less

The accessibility of feed, water and lying places is related to the space in the shed, fights for dominance, hoof quality and conditions underfoot. For example, the location of drinking troughs, feed barriers and cattle brushes has a major influence on cow movement and accessibility. Ensure that there is sufficient room to manoeuvre at busy intersections and that the floor provides sufficient grip. Avoid passageways with dead ends.

19

Cows eat 10-14 times a day if sufficiently appealing food is available (>20 hours, 5%-10% residual feed). During these meals, cows must eat both roughage and rapidly fermentable feed whenever possible. This will prevent the pH in the rumen from dropping excessively.

20

She then runs the risk of rumen acidosis. Rumen acidosis causes a decline in feed intake, a strongly negative energy balance and lower resistance. Rumen acidosis also reduces the production of biotin and the availability and uptake of other nutrients in the rumen, such as minerals and trace elements.

In short: at the beginning of lactation, the cow is very vulnerable. Lying time, a soft surface, hoof shape and use, and peace and quiet in the herd are very important. Diseases such as uterine infections and mastitis can exacerbate hoof problems.

By selecting feed, cows can eat too much quickly-fermentable feed during a meal. The same happens if you give large portions of concentrate twice a day in the milking parlour. If every cow does not have its own eating place, low-ranking animals will soon be eating too little. Observe their eating behaviour and evaluate their dung.

On pasture, there is also a risk of feeding errors due to a sudden change in diet or if the grass has little fibre and is high in sugars and protein. Keeping cattle at pasture requires attention to the fibre content of the grass and thinking ahead about the weather conditions.

co pr py ot rig ec h te t d

The most important risk period is at calving and the beginning of lactation.

Make sure that she eats plenty of good feed and drinks enough water.

Ensure that every cow can lie down and move comfortably, has lots of fresh air, that she doesn’t overload her hooves and has clean, well-lighted surroundings.

Feed errors

Cows in lactation Around calving time and during the first weeks of lactation, hoof quality is under heavy pressure from hoof bruising or laminitis. The susceptibility of the newly calved cow due to her negative energy balance increases the threat. The horn of the hoof is softer, due to the hormonal processes that take place around calving, and to the changing metabolism at the beginning of lactation. The cow also has high nutritional demands, although her intake is not at its maximum. So her diet must contain a great deal of energy, resulting in a low level of fibre.

Potential obstacles to the accessibility of roughage, water and cubicles: a slippery floor, narrow passageways and a thick chain on the automatic scraper. Newly calved cows, heifers and lame cows will be the first to have problems. Monitor the rumen fill and production of risk groups.

The cow is standing on the tips of her hooves because she has pain in the heel bulb area. The coronary band is swollen and she is developing a thick heel. Trim her hooves and treat her today.

Score hoof disorders Trim cows’ feet again two to three months after calving, when the animals are at the end of their risk periods and hoof problems can heal prop-erly. Recording the number of hoof problems tells you how successful your management of the transition and early lactation period has been.

Insufficient energy intake solid dung

Cows with acute rumen acidosis have a poorly filled rumen and ruminate too little.

Their dung alternates between being watery and solid, is dark in colour and is poorly digested. The herd eats a lot and produces too little milk.

Saliva is essential to prevent rumen acidosis.

Cows generate saliva when they chew and ruminate. Sufficient tangible roughage in the ration stimulates chewing and ruminating. Cow signals of sufficient rumination activity: 40% of the cows must be ruminating, 70% must be eating or ruminating. 60% of the lying cows should be ruminating.

Carbohydrates in the ration, rumen fermentation, health and production Optimal fermentation rate

Rate of rumen fermentation

What does this cow tell you?

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Intervention

Transition Give the animals time to adjust to the lactation ration, starting three weeks before calving. Around calving time, it is important to make sure that the cow continues to eat. Provide extra attention and care. What is your overall impression of the animal, her temperature, rumen fill and dung?

Formulate the rations and decide on the care procedure in consultation with the feed advisor and the vet.

Minerals and vitamins should be given as standard. Pay special attention to calcium and phosphorus intake.

Day-to-day practice

Dry cow management Good dry cow management lays the foundations for good hoof health during lactation. At drying off, the cows must have a condition score of about 3.0. Trim their hooves at this time (group trimming). Dry cows should not become much fatter, but neither should they become thinner.

Give an appetising, complete ration every day and make sure they don’t select. Let them lie in a clean, comfortable, well-ventilated yard with plenty of space. Exercise has a beneficial effect in terms of hoof haemorrhage and laminitis, probably due to improved blood circulation in the hoof, the stimulation of calcium metabolism in the bones and less ketosis.

Ration digests too slowly: many cell walls (ADF, NDF)

highly productive cow

Rumen acidosis watery dung

Ration digests too quickly: sugars, rapidly-digested starch

Digestion rate of carbohydrates in ration

21

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Healthy hooves result from the careful implementation of preventive measures and the provision of early and effective treatment for disorders. Cow-oriented facilities also help, such as good ventilation, a hoof-friendly floor and plenty of space (these cubicles are well-bedded, but they are too short).

Confined cows must lie for 14 hours per day so their hooves can rest and dry out. This requires an excellent cubicle for every cow, with the correct dimensions and a soft surface.

The environment should be comfortable: no draughts, no dampness and fresh air near the head of the cow.

Cow signals of sufficient lying time: ≼90 % of the cows in a cubicle are lying, ≤10 % have damaged hocks, and there are no cows waiting in the passageways.

22

The cow in the herd In a good shed, hoof quality, hoof load and adverse effects from the environment should all be under control. This can be achieved with optimal housing and effective management, including outstanding nutrition. On farms with hoof health problems it is sometimes difficult to determine the main cause.

For example, bad hooves cause problems with feed intake and also cause high infection pressure. Feed errors can lead to hoof problems and fights for dominance in the herd, leading to major disturbances in cow traffic circulation. This can lead in turn to declining immunity, hoof trauma and insufficient time spent lying down.

Problems exacerbate each other, but improvements often generate success in multiple areas as well. For example, improving ventilation often results in better feed intake and lower infection pressure.

The design and use of the shed must safeguard the cows from trauma. While walking, there are times when 70% of the body weight rests on a single front leg!

Measures: l Provide a soft surface with sufficient grip. l Avoid sharp, forced turns, exits and entrances (to the milking parlour, cubicle shed, feed barrier). l Avoid traffic jams at risk locations, e.g. near a drinking trough. l Repair uneven areas on the floor and install slats evenly. l Roughen the floor at busy locations or install a rubber layer. l Remove cows in oestrus from the herd. l Drive cows gently, never use force, always be predictable. l Make funnel-shaped entrances. l Remove any sharp points or protrusions.

Lame cows are a sign that preventive hoof care can be improved and that earlier treatment would

UK / Ireland edition

Hooves A practical guide for hoof health

Hooves

‘Incre a s e d ma na g e m e nt a tte nti on to hooves has an

i m m e di a te i m pa c t on your w allet, but also on the

p re s s u re o f wo r k . The fi r s t step on the road to

i m pro v e m e nt i s responding promptly to signals. ’

be beneficial. Good hoof management saves you a lot of time and money and spares the cow

co pr py ot rig ec h te t d

discomfort. Hooves offers practical help in for achieving good hoof health for your animals.

Hoof disorders result in cows suffering from pain, insufficient rest, inadequate intake of feed and water, and an increased susceptibility to many other disorders. Production can decline and the animal may have difficulty getting in calf. Hoof problems are also associated with an increased incidence of milk fever, feed problems and mastitis.

This guide will teach you how to minimise the risks before the first

Hooves

symptoms occur, and help you to respond in a timely and effective fashion to the first signs of hoof problems and increased risks.

Use Hooves to improve the hoof health of your animals; don’t let hoof problems on your farm get out of hand!

Hooves is part of the Cow Signals series. Cow Signals presents practical knowledge about animal-oriented cattle husbandry in an accessible fashion.

A practical guide for hoof health Jan Hulsen

www.roodbont.com

www.vetvice.com

www.cowsignals.com