Effects of stall type and bedding materials on lameness and hygiene score and effect of lameness on some reproductive problems in dairy cattle

Abstract

This study determined the effects of two different stall types and three different bedding materials on lameness during June 2009. Effect of lameness was also examined and was searched between hygiene score and reproductive problems in this study. Seven hundred and nine cows that housed a total of 37 dairy herds were examined, and locomotion score (lameness) of cows that were housed in free-stall was found lower than tie-stall on concrete bedding (P < 0.05). Locomotion score was compared only in the free-stall herds between different bedding materials, and there were no significant differences between mean of locomotion scores on concrete, sand or rubber bedding in this study. Herds that have higher mean of hygiene score was seen also have higher mean of locomotion score (r = 0.649, P < 0.01) and it was determined that retained placenta and repeat breeding were dependent on lameness.