Investigating the effect of prophylactic claw trimming on the interval between calving and first observed elevated locomotion score in pasture-based dairy cows

Figures & data

Table 1. Age, breed, and calving date of pasture-based dairy cows (n = 807) in a study investigating the effect of prophylactic claw trimming on the interval between calving and first observed elevated locomotion score, that were assigned to receive claw trimming (Trim) or not (Non-trim).

	Non-trim	Trim
Age (number (%))
≤ 4 years	342 (58.6)	109 (48.9)
5–7 years	206 (35.3)	103 (46.2)
≥ 8 years	36 (6.2)	11 (4.9)
Breed (number of cows (%))
Friesian	50 (8.6)	16 (7.2)
Jersey	5 (0.8)	2 (0.9)
Friesian x Jersey	529 (90.6)	205 (91.9)
Calving date
Mean (95% CI)	21 Aug 2018 (20–23 Aug 2018)	24 Aug 2018 (22–26 Aug 2018)
Median (min, max)	18 Aug 2018 (4 July, 13 Oct 2018)	22 Aug 2018 (13 July, 12 Oct 2018)

Aug = August; Oct = October.

Figure 1. Frequency distribution of locomotion scores (LS; scored 0 = black; 1 = grey; ≥ 2 = white; n = 10,925) for 19 fortnightly farm visits from visit 1 in August 2018 to visit 19 in May 2019 and covering the 2018–2019 production season. Data are from a study investigating the effect of prophylactic claw trimming on the interval between calving and first observed elevated LS in pasture-based dairy cows. Note: fewer cows were scored early in the season as cows were only scored once they had calved (calving season is from late July to late October).

Table 2. Frequency at which claw trimming categories were assigned at each of three claw trimming occasions to the left and right hind limb of pasture-based dairy cows included in a study investigating the effect of prophylactic claw trimming on the interval between calving and first observed elevated locomotion score.

Trimming category	Left hind limb		Right hind limb
	Frequency	Percentage (%)	Frequency	Percentage (%)
First trimming^a
No trim	120	48.0	143	57.2
Light trim	110	44.0	92	36.8
Moderate trim	17	6.8	14	5.6
Lesion trim	3	1.2	1	0.4
Sub-total	250	100.0	250	100.0
Second trimming^b
No trim	84	38.0	104	47.1
Light trim	126	57.0	102	46.1
Moderate trim	11	5.0	15	6.8
Lesion trim	0	0.0	0	0.0
Sub-total	221	100.0	221	100.0
Third trimming^c
No trim	83	38.8	99	46.3
Light trim	93	43.4	81	37.8
Moderate trim	38	17.8	31	14.5
Lesion trim	0	0.0	3	1.4
Sub-total	214	100.0	214	100.0
Overall
No trim	287	42.0	346	50.5
Light trim	329	48.0	275	40.1
Moderate trim	66	9.6	60	8.8
Lesion trim	3	0.4	4	0.6
Grand total	685	100.0	685	100.0

^a Conducted during dry-off (May/June 2018).

^b Undertaken in early lactation (October 2018).

^c Performed at the end of the lactation (May 2019).

Table 3. Category of trim applied on each of three trimming occasions to the left and right hind limbs of pasture-based dairy cows included in a study investigating the effect of prophylactic claw trimming.

	Right hind limb
	No trim	Light trim	Moderate trim	Total
First trimming^a
Left hind limb
No trim	107	13	0	120
Light trim	33	73	3	109
Moderate trim	3	6	8	17
Total	143	92	11	246
Second trimming^b
Left hind limb
No trim	76	8	0	84
Light trim	28	93	5	126
Moderate trim	0	1	10	11
Total	104	102	15	221
Third trimming^c
Left hind limb
No trim	68	15	0	83
Light trim	29	58	6	93
Moderate trim	2	8	25	35
Total	99	81	31	211
Total
Left hind limb
No trim	251	36	0	287
Light trim	90	224	15	329
Moderate trim	5	15	42	69
Total	346	275	57	668

^a First trim occasion (28 May 2018) included four lesion trims.

^b Second trim occasion (2 October 2018) included no lesion trims.

^c Third trim occasion (10 May 2019) included three lesion trims.

Table 4. Percentage (number) of cows that were observed to have claw lesions after claw trimming at each of three trimming occasions and overall, in a study investigating the effect of prophylactic claw trimming on the interval between calving and first observed elevated locomotion score in pasture-based dairy cows.

Lesion type	First trimming^a (n = 250)	Second trimming^b (n = 221)	Third trimming^c (n = 214)	Overall (n = 685)^d
None	84.8% (212)	77.4% (171)	90.2% (193)	84.1% (576)
OH	2.8% (7)	0.9% (2)	1.8% (4)	1.9% (13)
SH	3.2% (8)	11.3% (25)	4.7% (10)	6.3% (43)
SU	0.8% (2)	0.0% (0)	0.0% (0)	0.3% (2)
WLD	8.4% (21)	10.4% (23)	3.3% (7)	7.4% (51)

^a Conducted during dry-off (May/June 2018).

^b Undertaken in early lactation (October 2018).

^c Performed at the end of the lactation (May 2019).

^d Number of cow-trims over the three visits.

OH = overgrown hoof; SH = sole haemorrhage; SU = sole ulcer; WLD = white line disease.

Figure 2. Results from the Cox proportional hazards regression model of the time from calving to (a) clinical lameness (lameness score (LS, scored 0–3) ≥ 2) and (b) imperfect gait (LS ≥ 1) for cows (n = 807) on one dairy farm in the 2018/2019 production season that did (dashed line; n = 223) or did not (solid line; n = 584) receive prophylactic claw trimming. Age and breed were included in the model as covariates. There was no clear effect of trimming on the time to first observed LS ≥ 2 (HR comparing non-trimmed with trimmed = 0.87 (95% CI = 0.66–1.14)). In contrast, trimming had a clear effect on the hazard of LS ≥ 1 (HR comparing non-trimmed with trimmed = 1.60 (95% CI = 1.37–1.88)).

Table 5. The coefficients of the independent variables on the hazard of locomotion score (LS) ≥ 2 and LS ≥ 1 being observed for the first time (from Cox proportional hazards model^a) in a study investigating the effect of prophylactic claw trimming on the interval between calving and first observed elevated LS in pasture-based dairy cows.

LS category	Model coefficient	HR	95% CI
For LS ≥ 2
Trim group
Trim	Ref
Non-trim	−0.141	0.87	0.66–1.14
Breed
Friesian	Ref
Jersey	0.261	1.30	0.85–1.98
Friesian x Jersey	−0.129	0.88	0.22–3.54
Age
≤ 4 years	Ref
5–7 years	−0.577	0.56	0.34–0.92
≥ 8 years	−0.110	0.90	0.54–1.48
For LS ≥ 1
Trim group
Trim	Ref
Non-trim	0.471	1.60	1.37–1.88
Breed
Friesian	Ref
Jersey	−0.106	0.90	0.70–1.16
Friesian x Jersey	−0.580	0.56	0.25–1.26
Age
≤ 4 years	Ref
5–7 years	−0.115	0.89	0.66–1.21
≥ 8 years	−0.137	0.87	0.64–1.19

^a Breed and age included as confounder variables, so that the effect of non-trimming is the HR for the effect of not being trimmed on the hazard of being observed for the first time with a LS ≥ 2 or ≥ 1 at any given level of breed and age.