PHOTO: MARK PASVEER


HOOF HEAL ▶▶▶TH


The role of claw trimming in welfare and profitability


BY SAMANEH AZARPAJOUH, FREELANCE CORRESPONDENT L


ameness is a major production disease affecting dairy cattle health, welfare and profitability. It causes considerable economic losses because of additional labour, repeated treatments, euthanasia, early cull-


ing, reduced milk yield, poor reproductive performance and shortened productive years. Therefore, lameness prevention and treatment are important to prevent financial losses and welfare problems.


Lameness is defined as a deviation from the normal gait caused by lesions, diseases and other factors such as genet- ics, nutrition housing systems and management practices. Lameness is a poor welfare indicator because it is associated with pain, discomfort, reduced mobility and reduced ability to cope with the environment. After reproductive problems, lameness is one of the most important reasons for the premature culling of breeding females. Dairy cattle lameness prevalence in the UK is estimated at 36.8%, in Switzerland at 14.8% and in the northeastern Unit- ed States at 54.8%. Worldwide, cattle lameness prevalence ranges from 14% to 55%. Direct lameness costs include increased workload, medical treatment, culling costs and production costs, as well as decreased milk yield and reduced (re)productive performance. It is estimated that lameness costs approximately £128 million/year ($ 164 million/year) to the UK dairy industry.


Claw trimming methods Different claw trimming methods include the functional claw trimming or Dutch method, the White Line method, the White Line Atlas method and the Kansas method. These methods yield considerable differences in sole thickness and presentation, which affect their preventive or curative purpose. The Dutch five-step method or functional claw trimming, proposed by Toussaint Raven, is widely applied in the dairy industry. In this method the outer and inner walls of the claw are levelled, and they are presented perpendic- ular to the metatarsals. The White Line method, developed


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Claw trimming is an essential lameness management procedure that improves claw health by creating appropriate weight distribution between the medial and lateral claws. In addition, claw trimming affects dairy cattle behaviour and milk yield, in turn improving welfare, production performance and profitability.


by Blowey, is based on examining the sole thickness during trimming until the white line becomes visible at the toe region to ensure that weight bearing between the lateral and medial hind claws is equal. The White Line Atlas method, described by Vic Daniel and Randall White, applies four major landmarks or biomarkers – the white line or pressure line, normal sole thickness, claw length/angle and heel fulcrum – to ensure proper claw trimming. The Kansas method is devel- oped based on the variations in wall length, heel depth, sole thickness and sole gradient between animals. This method results in the inner wall being lower than the outer wall and presentation of a natural sole angle.


Claw over- growth occurs when horn pro- duction happens faster than it wears. This af- fects weight bearing within and between the claws.


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