Insights into Lameness in Dairy Cattle: The Role of Body Condition Score and Lactation Dynamics

Year 2025, Volume: 20 Issue: 2, 64 - 70, 27.08.2025

Yalçın Alper Özturan , İbrahim Akın

https://doi.org/10.17094/vetsci.1676194

Abstract

Lameness is a significant welfare and economic issue in dairy farms, resulting in reduced milk yield, increased treatment costs, and higher culling rates. The present study aimed to investigate the relationships between lameness and animal-level factors including body condition score (BCS), lactation period (LP), and lactation number (LN) in 370 lactating Holstein cows. Lameness and BCS were assessed by observation, while LP and LN were obtained from farm records. Data were analyzed using chi-square and Fisher's-Freeman-Halton exact test to examine relationships between lameness scores and animal-level factors, and logistic regression was performed to reveal risk factors. Chi-square analysis revealed significant associations between lameness scores and both BCS (P = .010) and LN (P = .039), but not with LP (P > 0.05). Consistent with these results, logistic regression identified BCS as a significant predictor (P =.012); cows with a BCS of 4 had 3.72 times higher odds of lameness compared to those with a BCS of 2 (P = .037). Although LN was not significant overall (P = .195), cows in their second lactation showed significantly lower odds of lameness compared to first-lactation cows (P = .045). LP was not a significant predictor in the multivariate model (P = .746). Present findings emphasize the importance of monitoring BCS and LN to reduce lameness risks and improve herd health. Further studies are required to clarify the role of animal level factors in lameness.

Keywords

Body condition score , Dairy cows , Days in milk , Lactation number , Lameness

Ethical Statement

The study was approved by the Animal Experiments Local Ethics Committee of Aydin Adnan Menderes University (Approval number: 64583101/2025/034) on February 6, 2025.

Süt Sığırlarında Topallık Üzerine İçgörüler: Vücut Kondisyon Skoru ve Laktasyon Dinamiklerinin Rolü

Abstract

Topallık süt çiftliklerinde süt veriminde azalma, tedavi maliyetlerinde artış ve kesim oranlarında yükselmeye neden olan önemli bir refah ve ekonomik sorundur. Sunulan çalışmada 370 sağmal Holstein inekte topallık ile vücut kondisyon skoru (VKS), laktasyon periyodu (LP) ve laktasyon sayısı (LS) gibi hayvan düzeyindeki faktörler arasındaki ilişkilerin değerlendirilmesi amaçlandı. Topallık ve vücut kondisyon skorları gözlem yoluyla değerlendirilirken, laktasyon sayısı ve periyodu çiftlik kayıtlarından elde edildi. Topallık skorları ile hayvan düzeyindeki faktörler arasındaki ilişkileri incelemek için veriler ki-kare ve Fisher's-Freeman-Halton kesin testi kullanılarak analiz edildi ve risk faktörlerini belirlemek için ise lojistik regresyon uygulandı. Ki-kare analizinde, topallık skorları ile hem VKS (P = 0,010) hem de LS (P = 0,039) arasında anlamlı ilişkiler bulundu; LP ile ise anlamlı bir ilişki saptanmadı (P > 0,05). Bu sonuçlarla tutarlı olarak, lojistik regresyon analizinde VKS’nin anlamlı bir belirleyici olduğu saptandı (P = 0,012); VKS’si 4 olan ineklerin, VKS’si 2 olanlara kıyasla topallık görülme olasılığının 3,72 kat daha yüksek olduğu belirlendi (P = 0,037). LS genel olarak anlamlı bulunmamakla birlikte (P = 0,195), ikinci laktasyondaki ineklerde topallık görülme olasılığı, birinci laktasyondakilere göre anlamlı düzeyde daha düşük bulundu (P = 0,045). LP ise çok değişkenli modelde anlamlı bir risk faktörü olarak bulunmadı (P = 0,746). Mevcut bulgular, topallık risklerini azaltmak ve sürü sağlığını iyileştirmek için BCS ve LN'nin izlenmesinin önemini vurgulamaktadır. Hayvan düzeyindeki faktörlerin topallıktaki rolünü açıklığa kavuşturmak için daha ileri çalışmalara ihtiyaç vardır.

Keywords

Laktasyon Sayısı , Sığır , Süt Verim Gün Sayısı , Topallık , Vücut Kondisyon Skoru

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