Influence of claw disorders on milk production in simmental dairy cows

Abstract

A study on claw disorders" infl uence on milk production was performed during one year on 226 Simmental loose-reared cows. The first trial group included 42, the second 37, and the third 34 cows, with claw changes observed in the first hundred days of lactation, between days 101 and 200, between days 201 and 305, respectively. The control group included 113 cows with no observed changes. Lameness intensity was assessed once a week. Milk yield data were collected three weeks before, in the week of treatment of claws and three weeks afterwards. There were significantly more cows with lameness in the third group than in the other two groups, as well as the most cows with one aff ected limb in the first hundred days of the lactation (P0.05). Cows aff ected in the first third of lactation produced less milk (324 kg) than both healthy and cows with claw changes manifested in later stages of lactation. Obtained data confirm that claw disorders may aff ect dairy production.

Keywords

• claw disorders
• cow
• lameness
• milk production
• simmental