By Distl, O., Tierarztliche Umschau, 1996
Description
The percentage of cows culled because of claw and foot problems is now similar to that due to mastitis and other under related problems. Analysis of the data from the officially recorded dairy herds in Bavaria revealed that no other conditions were responsible for an increase in the culling rate compared with foot and leg problems; these were mainly localised in claws. Investigations in a number of European countries indicate that 50 per cent of all cows are suffering from foot and leg problems. Genetic selection for foot and leg soundness needs to focus on claws. This requires that the clinical assessment of locomotion in young cows and bulls, in addition to measurements of claws of young bulls, should be used as selection criteria for young bulls. Measurements of claws can be made with great accuracy, and cheaply, and the heritabilities are sufficiently great to produce a substantial effect. The genetic correlations between the measurements of claws of young bulls and their daughters were sufficiently great to produce an effective, indirect selection for an improvement in the soundness of feet and legs in future generations. The measurements of claws includes the hardness of the horn as well as careful clinical assessment of the legs with respect to disease resistance and the longevity of progeny. This strategy for selection should be used for the selection of bull dams and cows, from the analysis of paternal half sib information. Future developments in the prediction of genetic predisposition to disease of the claw are aimed at measuring ground surface floor interactions
The percentage of cows culled because of claw and foot problems is now similar to that due to mastitis and other under related problems. Analysis of the data from the officially recorded dairy herds in Bavaria revealed that no other conditions were responsible for an increase in the culling rate compared with foot and leg problems; these were mainly localised in claws. Investigations in a number of European countries indicate that 50 per cent of all cows are suffering from foot and leg problems. Genetic selection for foot and leg soundness needs to focus on claws. This requires that the clinical assessment of locomotion in young cows and bulls, in addition to measurements of claws of young bulls, should be used as selection criteria for young bulls. Measurements of claws can be made with great accuracy, and cheaply, and the heritabilities are sufficiently great to produce a substantial effect. The genetic correlations between the measurements of claws of young bulls and their daughters were sufficiently great to produce an effective, indirect selection for an improvement in the soundness of feet and legs in future generations. The measurements of claws includes the hardness of the horn as well as careful clinical assessment of the legs with respect to disease resistance and the longevity of progeny. This strategy for selection should be used for the selection of bull dams and cows, from the analysis of paternal half sib information. Future developments in the prediction of genetic predisposition to disease of the claw are aimed at measuring ground surface floor interactions
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