A Retrospective Case Study into the Effect of Hoof Lesions on the Lying Behaviour of Holstein-Friesian in a Loose-Housed System.
Authors: Ji Karen Jiewei, Booth Richard E, Blackie Nicola
Journal: Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
Summary
# Editorial Summary Hoof lesions represent a significant welfare concern in housed dairy cattle, yet their specific impact on behavioural patterns remains poorly characterised. This retrospective analysis examined 29 Holstein-Friesian cows on a commercial English farm with a 32.3% herd lameness prevalence, comparing lying behaviour across animals with claw horn disruption lesions (CHDL), soft tissue lesions (STL), and those free from lesions, using AHDB mobility scoring and direct behavioural observation before and after professional trimming. Cattle with CHDL demonstrated substantially increased recumbency—averaging 15 hours daily compared to 11.77 hours in sound animals—alongside significantly restricted standing time (9.68 versus 12.21 hours), whilst STL cows exhibited intermediate lying durations of 11.30 hours, with mobility scores escalating progressively across lesion categories (2.0, 1.2, and 0.9 respectively). Notably, post-trimming responses differed by lesion type: CHDL cows paradoxically reduced lying time to 13.66 hours, whilst unaffected animals increased recumbency and showed shortened individual lying bouts, suggesting altered comfort thresholds during the post-treatment period. These findings underscore that hoof pathology type distinctly influences lying behaviour patterns independent of overall lameness severity, and that trimming interventions produce complex short-term behavioural adjustments warranting careful post-treatment monitoring in clinical and management contexts.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Hoof trimming reduces lying time in cows with claw horn lesions, suggesting pain relief and improved comfort post-treatment
- •Lying behaviour duration and patterns can serve as practical on-farm indicators of hoof lesion presence and severity when mobility scoring is unavailable
- •Post-trimming changes in lying behaviour differ by lesion type, highlighting the importance of targeted hoof health management for loose-housed dairy systems
Key Findings
- •Cows with claw horn disruption lesions had significantly longer lying times (15.00 ± 1.04 h/d) compared to no-lesion controls (11.77 ± 1.67 h/d, p = 0.0006)
- •Mobility scores differed significantly across lesion groups (p = 0.022), with CHDL cows scoring 2.0 ± 0.9 versus no-lesion cows at 0.9 ± 0.7
- •After trimming, CHDL cows reduced lying time significantly (13.66 ± 0.98 h/d, p = 0.0125), whereas no-lesion cows increased lying time post-trimming (p = 0.0398)
- •Herd prevalence of lameness was 32.3% in the 96-cow milking herd