Haskell M J, Rennie L J, Bowell V A, Bell M J, Lawrence A B
Sustainable Livestock Systems Group, Scottish Agricultural College, United Kingdom.
J Dairy Sci. 2006 Nov;89(11):4259-66. doi: 10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(06)72472-9.
The aim of this study was to assess the effect of grazing (G) vs. zero-grazing (ZG), level of milk production, and quality and type of housing system [free stalls (FS) and straw yards (SY)] on the prevalence of lameness and leg injuries in dairy cows. Observations were made on 37 commercial dairy farms across Great Britain. A single visit of 5 d duration was made to each farm. During this visit, lameness scores and the incidence of swellings, rubs, and injuries to hocks and knees were recorded on all the peak- or mid-lactation cows. Aspects of the quality of housing and management that were likely to affect foot and leg health were recorded. There were more lame cows on ZG farms (39 +/- 0.02%) than on grazing (G) farms (15 +/- 0.01%), and lameness scores were higher on FS farms compared with SY farms (0.25 +/- 0.01 vs. 0.05 +/- 0.01). Cows on SY farms had fewer hock and knee injuries compared with FS farms. The frequency of knee swellings was higher on ZG farms (0.31 +/- 0.02) than on G farms (0.15 +/- 0.01). Aspects of the free-stall design affected foot and leg health. The number of hock swellings increased with increasing stall gradient (0.16 +/- 0.01 with no slope vs. 0.39 +/- 0.02 at a 0 to 1.5% slope). There was an interaction between the length of the free-stall lunging space and the hip width of the cow, indicating that the incidence of lameness is generally highest on farms with small free stalls and heavy cows. High levels of milk production did not affect lameness or leg injury. The results indicate that housing cows throughout the year potentially has a detrimental effect on foot and leg health. However, good free-stall design may reduce lameness and leg lesions.
本研究的目的是评估放牧（G）与舍饲（ZG）、产奶水平以及牛舍系统的质量和类型[自由牛栏（FS）和稻草围场（SY）]对奶牛跛足和腿部损伤患病率的影响。对英国各地的37个商业奶牛场进行了观察。对每个农场进行了为期5天的单次访问。在此次访问期间，记录了所有泌乳高峰期或中期奶牛的跛足评分以及跗关节和膝关节肿胀、擦伤和损伤的发生率。记录了可能影响蹄部和腿部健康的牛舍质量和管理方面的情况。舍饲农场的跛足奶牛（39±0.02%）比放牧农场（15±0.01%）多，自由牛栏农场的跛足评分高于稻草围场农场（0.25±0.01对0.05±0.01）。与自由牛栏农场相比，稻草围场农场的奶牛跗关节和膝关节损伤较少。舍饲农场膝关节肿胀的频率（0.31±0.02）高于放牧农场（0.15±0.01）。自由牛栏设计的一些方面会影响蹄部和腿部健康。跗关节肿胀的数量随着牛栏坡度的增加而增加（无坡度时为0.16±0.01，坡度为0至1.5%时为0.39±0.02）。自由牛栏冲刺空间的长度与奶牛髋宽之间存在相互作用，这表明在自由牛栏小且奶牛体重较大的农场，跛足发生率通常最高。高产奶量并未影响跛足或腿部损伤。结果表明，全年舍饲奶牛可能对蹄部和腿部健康有不利影响。然而，良好的自由牛栏设计可能会减少跛足和腿部病变。
