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Routine hoof-trimming data provides insight into the occurrence of claw lesions in Holstein herds in the central region of South Africa

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Abstract

Claw lesions in dairy cows contribute significantly to lameness, causing distress and discomfort for affected cows and raising welfare concerns. Despite increased awareness, lameness incidence continues to rise. Defining and recording claw traits are particularly problematic. In South Africa (SA), claw data is limited to paper-based records kept by private hoof trimmers. This research analysed claw-trimming data from five dairy farms over 6 years to examine the occurrence and recording of claw lesions in SA Holstein cattle. Lesion identification followed the Claw Lesion Identification in Dairy Cattle brochure. Among the recorded lesions, digital dermatitis (DD) had the highest prevalence (64.02%), followed by sole ulcers (SU; 8.59%), white line disease (WLD; 6.27%), and sole haemorrhage (SH; 4.28%), and most lesions occurred in the rear feet. Chi-square tests and correspondence analysis (CA) were employed to explore the relationships between lesions, feet, and housing. Results indicated that the prevalence of SU and SH showed high similarity for foot and lesion association, and that these were more highly associated with the rear feet. Additionally, the prevalence of DD and interdigital phlegmon were strongly associated, and closely associated with SU, and all these lesions were associated with both dirt lot and free-stall housing systems. CA further confirmed a close association between WLD and SH, and the prevalence of these lesions in the combination housing system. Results of this study highlight the complexity of lesion data and that specific associations between lesions could lead to simplifying the recording thereof. Consolidating the most informative claw lesions into categories will aid in the practical prevention, management, and treatment of lameness on-farm.

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Data availability

The datasets generated during and/or analysed during the current study are not publicly available due to post-graduate research still being in process but are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

The participating farms and the hoof trimmer are thanked for their willingness to contribute to the study.

Funding

Partial financial support was received from Milk SA [PRJ-0275].

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Animal Science, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20, Hatfield, Pretoria, 0028, South Africa

    R. C. Joubert & E. van Marle-Köster

  2. Department of Statistics, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20, Hatfield, Pretoria, 0028, South Africa

    H. F. Strydom

Authors
  1. R. C. Joubert
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  2. H. F. Strydom
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  3. E. van Marle-Köster
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Contributions

All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation, data collection, and analysis were performed by RCJ. The first draft of the manuscript was written by RCJ and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to R. C. Joubert.

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Ethics approval

Ethical approval for the study was granted by the University of Pretoria Ethics Committee in the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences (NAS292/2020).

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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Joubert, R.C., Strydom, H.F. & van Marle-Köster, E. Routine hoof-trimming data provides insight into the occurrence of claw lesions in Holstein herds in the central region of South Africa. Trop Anim Health Prod 55, 395 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-023-03814-x

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