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Nutrition: Building the Bovine Claw

Dana Tomlinson Ph.D., and Michael Socha Ph.D.
Zinpro Corporation, Eden Prairie, MN, USA
As printed in Hoof Trimmers Association Newsletter: The Hoof Health Connection

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Nutritional management continues to be a major focal point in the attempt to reduce lameness in dairy cattle (Nocek, 1997).  Lameness is a multifactorial disease resulting from an array of factors inherent to dairy operations (Lischer and Ossent, 1994).  Factors affecting lameness and locomotion include nutrition, feeding strategies, wetness, abrasive or slippery floor surfaces and health events causing production of poor quality horn (fever, off-feed, metabolic disturbances, toxins/mycotoxins, age).  A considerable body of literature is available for the impact of protein, carbohydrates, non-forage fiber, fiber length, and various other macro nutritional management factors pertaining to ruminal function and claw horn lesions.  More recently, emphasis is being placed on the metabolic disturbances and mechanical changes of the claw which occur during the transition period.  These changes may be impacted by hormones, vitamins, minerals, and trace elements and the roles they play in development of quality claw horn tissue. 

The objective of this paper is to summarize some of the factors involved in formation of quality claw horn.  Special emphasis is placed on the nutritional and hormonal factors that affect claw keratin formation during the periparturient period and their potential role in production of inferior horn tissue resulting in increased incidence of lameness.

Transition period challenges
Many physiological changes occur in late gestation and early lactation of the dairy cow which affect nutrient uptake and flow.  Despite the tremendous quantity of research conducted on nutrition and physiology of transition cows, the transition period (3 wk prior to through 3 wk after parturition) remains a problematic area on many commercial dairy farms, and metabolic disorders continue to occur at economically important rates (Burhans et al., 2003).  Toussant Raven (1989) considered parturition as a “healthy” disease that could significantly impact claw health of the dairy cow through the interaction of the cow, parturition and nutritional shifts that occur during this period (Figure 1).  Drackley (1999) reported that success during the transition period effectively determines the profitability of the cow during the subsequent lactation.  He indicated that most infectious diseases and metabolic disorders occur during this time.  Milk fever, ketosis, udder edema, retained fetal membranes, metritis and displaced abomasum primarily impact cows during the periparturient period (Table 1).

Figure 1. Diagrammatic representation of the interrelationship between the cow, transition period and nutrition on lameness (E. Toussant Raven, 1989).
 

Table 1.  Mean and range for incidence of selected periparturient health disorders in 61 herds of high producing dairy cowsa.

a  Adapted from Drackley (1999)

In addition, periparturient stress, hormonal shifts, and decreased dry matter intake lead to immune suppression and increased potential for metabolic and infectious diseases, during this most critical phase in the lifecycle of a cow (Figure 2). 

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