Housing conditions during the last month of gestation affect hoof health after calving in dairy heifers

ABSTRACT This study evaluated the effects of housing in the last month of gestation on hoof health in postpartum dairy heifers. The hooves of the heifers were evaluated during functional claw trimming and lameness scoring at 30 days before the expected calving date, and only heifers without any hoof lesions and lameness were included in the study. The heifers were kept in cubicle housing systems with mats (MAT, n = 12), mattresses (MATR, n = 12) and solid concrete floors, and on a straw yard (SY, n = 12) without exposure to concrete during the last month of gestation. The effects of housing systems on hoof lesions and lameness were evaluated during functional claw trimming and locomotion scoring at 60 and 90 days in milk (DIM). The evaluation of hoof lesions with respect to the study group, time, and their interaction was performed with the general linear mixed model for repeated measures. All heifers displayed sole hemorrhages (SH), white-line hemorrhages (WLH), and heel horn erosion in the postpartum period, but none of the heifers displayed lameness. The mean SH severity score was significantly higher in groups MAT and MATR than in group SY (2.25, 1.92, 0.75, respectively) at 60 DIM, and significantly higher in group MAT than in groups MATR and SY (1.92, 0.92, 0.92, respectively) at 90 DIM. The mean WLH severity score was higher in group MAT than groups MATR and SY (1.92, 1.17, 0.92, respectively) at 60 DIM, and similar (0.83, 0.75, 0.50, respectively) at 90 DIM. Heel horn erosion did not differ in severity among the groups. Improving housing comfort during the last month of pregnancy significantly decreases the severity of postpartum SH and WLH.