Prevalence and interrelationships of hoof lesions and lameness in Swedish dairy cows

The prevalence of hoof lesions and lameness in 4899 heifers and cows was determined at claw trimming one time in a cross-sectional study on 101 Swedish dairy farms, 1996-1998. The percentage of affected animals was 41% for heel-horn erosion, 30% for sole haemorrhages, 27% for erosive dermatitis, 21% for abnormal claw shape, 14% for white-line haemorrhages, 8.8% for white-line fissures, 8.6% for sole ulcers, 3.3% for double soles, 2.3% for verrucose dermatitis, and 1.8% for interdigital hyperplasia (IH). Seventy-two percent of all animals had at least one hoof lesion. The prevalence of lameness was 5.1%; most hoof lesions did not cause lameness. Differences between herds were substantial; the herd-specific, animal-level prevalence of lesions ranged from 25 to 98% and of lameness from 0 to 33%. Sole haemorrhages were found in all herds. The proportion of variance at the between-herd level was particularly high for heel-horn erosion (62%) and abnormal claw shape (54%). Strong correlations between lesions were found within hooves (and animals), e.g. for heel-horn erosion and dermatitis (Spearman's rank correlation, r(s)=0.36 and 0.37, respectively) and for sole and white-line haemorrhages (r(s)=0.25 and 0.28). Most hoof lesions affected hind and front hooves bilaterally, whereas the correlation between hind and front hooves generally was lower. Herds that ranked high for prevalence of sole ulcer also ranked high for sole haemorrhages and for abnormal claw shape and herds that ranked high for dermatitis also ranked high for heel-horn erosion, verrucose dermatitis and IH. Abnormal claw shape was strongly associated with sole ulcer (r(s)=0.41 at cow level)-suggesting the importance of maintaining a correct claw shape for the prevention of hoof-horn lesions.     

Association between age and time from calving and reported lameness in a dairy herd in the Waikato region of New Zealand

Abstract

CASE HISTORY: During the 2014/2015 season 823 predominantly Holstein-Friesian cows calved on a pasture-based farm in the Waikato region of New Zealand. A high prevalence and recurrence rate of lameness had been noted for several years but cows feet were not routinely picked up and therapeutically trimmed.

CLINICAL FINDINGS: At a farm visit in December 2015, 23 cows feet were examined and 18/23 (78%) cows had white line disease and 17/23 (74%) sole haemorrhages, as well as severely overgrown and misshapen hooves.

EPIDEMIOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION: Lameness, culling and reproductive data were collected for the farm for the period from 01 July 2014 to 30 November 2015. In the 2014/2015 season, 207/823 (25.2%) cows were recorded lame, and in the first half of the 2015/16 season 120/850 (14%) cows were recorded lame. Of the cows recorded lame, 52/207 (25.1%) in the 2014/15 season had >1 case of lameness, and 39/120 (32.5%) cows recorded lame in the 2015/2016 season had been lame in the previous season. There was an apparent increase in prevalence between 29–37 weeks post-calving. Cows >7-years-old had seven times the odds of being recorded as lame compared to 2–3-year-old cows (p<0.001). Lameness was not associated with culling, empty rate or days to conception (p>0.3).

DIAGNOSIS: No direct cause for the lameness could be determined.

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: It was hypothesised that, along with the degenerative changes in the pedal bone as dairy cows increased in age, suboptimal treatment and overgrowth of hooves resulted in permanent changes in the cows feet, resulting in a high prevalence of lameness in older cattle and a high recurrence rate of lameness within and between seasons. This case highlights the importance of prompt identification and treatment of lame cattle.     

北京黑白花乳牛蹄底角质中25种元素含量的研究

本实验采用电感耦合等离子体原子发射光谱仪,在1987年春、秋两季对北京某牛场的黑白花成年乳牛蹄底角质中25种元素(K、Na、S、Ca、P、Mg、Mn、Mo、Cu、Zn、Fe、I、Se、Co、Cd、Cr、Ni、B、Al、Si、Ti、Ba、Ph、As、Hg)进行了测定,并对春、秋季正形蹄与变形蹄、正形蹄与病变蹄,以及春秋正形蹄、变形蹄之间做了对比,还测定了饲料地的土壤、水和饲料中25种元素的含量,与国内外有关资料的结果进行了对比,初步探讨了某牛场成乳牛中正形蹄蹄底角质中25种元素的含量,指出春秋两季正形蹄蹄底角质中25种元素的含量是有差异的,春季正形蹄与变形蹄相比各元素差异均不显著;秋季变形蹄含Mg量显著高于正形蹄,含Ca、Al、Cd和Ti量显著低于正形蹄;春季病变蹄含K、Fe、Mn、Cu、Mg、Al、Ti、Se、I、Pb、Hg量显著高于正形蹄。本文首次提出北京黑白花乳牛正形蹄蹄底角质中Ca、P比值,春季是5.822/1,秋季是6.253/1。此牛场乳牛饮水中Hg含量过高是环境污染的结果。本文为今后进一步研究北京黑白花乳牛蹄角质与元素的关系提供了临床参考的依据。     

Haemorrhages of the Sole Horn of Dairy Cows as a Retrospective Indicator of Laminitis: An Epidemiological Study

Eleven herds with clinical laminitis problems and 11 control herds were studied for 2 consecutive years. All the claws were trimmed and photographically recorded once each year, 2 to 6 months after the cows had calved. The haemorrhages of the sole horn were evaluated and scored for each digit, and data relevant to the factors associated with an increased risk of laminitis for each herd were collected and related to these scores for sole haemorrhages. It was found that the laminitic herds were more prone to the sole lesions than the control herds, the hind claws were more prone than the front claws, the pri-miparous cows were more prone than the multiparous cows and the Swedish Friesian cows were more prone than the Swedish Red and White cows. High scores were also correlated with hard floors (ie concrete) in the cow stalls, with fewer than 4 daily feedings of concentrates, with a short time allocated for the cows to eat concentrates, with feeding concentrates only at the first meal in the morning and in the afternoon and with the interaction between these last 2 variables.     

The cleanliness of cows tied in stalls and the health of their hooves as influenced by the use of electric trainers

The influence of the cleanliness of cows' stalls on the cows' own cleanliness and on the health of their hooves was investigated in 52 dairy cows tied in stalls with long stanchions from 2 October 1989 to 7 May 1990 in one Swedish dairy herd. Twenty-six of the cows were provided with electric cow trainers throughout this period, 14 did not have trainers and 12 had trainers only for the period between 7 February and 7 May. The hooves of the hind feet were evaluated for Dermatitis interdigitalis (interdigital dermatitis) and Erosio ungulae (heel-horn erosion) on 2 October, 7 February and 7 May, and on this last occasion the dry matter content of the sole horn was measured.

The average number of cow-pats deposited on the floors of the stalls with electric trainers was less than one-third of the number in the stalls without them, and the cows in stalls with trainers were approximately 30% cleaner. Between October and February, heel-horn erosion increased significantly only in the cows without electric trainers, and between February and May, heel-horn erosion decreased only in the cows which were provided with trainers on 7 February. The prevalence of inter-digital dermatitis decreased in all the cows throughout the period of housing and there was no significant difference in prevalence between the different groups.

The dry matter content of the sole horn was significantly greater in the cows which had electric trainers than in the cows without trainers, and the difference was significant even in the cows which had the trainers only from February to May. There was a significant negative correlation between the dry matter content of the sole horn and the level of heel-horn erosion.     

Genetic aspects of feet soundness in cattleAspects génétiques des maladies podales chez les bovinsGenetische aspekte der klauengesundheit beim rind

The incidence of foot disorders such as pododermatitis and dermatitis interdigitalis in the progeny of 10 AI sires was studied. Fifty heifers from each sire's progeny were inspected once between 60–100 days post partum. At that examination of the hooves, symptoms of pododermatitis (haemorrhages in the sole, and sole ulcers) and dermatitis interdigitalis (eczema of the interdigital skin, and bulbhorn erosion) were classified.The statistical analysis included sire, housing system, pododermatitis symptoms and dermatitis interdigitalis symptoms. It showed significant differences in the incidence and seriousness of pododermatitis between the progeny groups. These differences were partly influenced by the distribution of heifers over the housing systems and an interaction between housing system and sire. The incidence of dermatitis interdigitalis in the progeny groups was not influenced by the sire.     

Subclinical laminitis in dairy heifers

By causing poorer horn quality, subclinical laminitis is considered to be a major predisposing cause of other hoof problems, particularly sole ulcers in newly calved heifers. In this study the hind hooves of 136 female Friesian/Holstein cattle aged between four months and two years were examined to discover at what age the signs of subclinical laminitis appeared. Sole haemorrhages were found in the hoof horn of calves as young as five months. The consistent finding of these lesions in heifers of all ages indicated that subclinical laminitis of varying degree was a common condition during the early growing period of young dairy heifers.     

A Cross-Sectional Survey of Forelimb Hoof Conformation and the Prevalence of Flat Feet in a Cohort of Thoroughbred Racehorses in New Zealand

Racehorses in New Zealand predominantly train counter clockwise. This training pattern has been associated with between forelimb differences in bone mineral density profile and asymmetrical limb loading after training. At present, there is limited data on the hoof conformation of these racehorses. Distal forelimb and digital hoof conformation data were collected from 75 Thoroughbred racehorses (2–5 years old) from two training yards. Digital conformation was subjectively graded, and multiple hoof measurements were made with a modified tire gauge (sole and sulci depth) and from digital photographs. All the horses were shod by two registered master farriers within a median of 15 (interquartile range [IQR], 1–25) days before measurement. There were few distal limb conformation abnormalities scored. Most (62/75) horses presented with some deviation from normal hoof parameters, with 2 (IQR, 1–3) abnormalities reported per horse. The most common hoof abnormality was uneven sulci, which was identified in 43 horses and 59 affected hooves, followed by higher medial hoof wall height in 38 horses and 53 affected hooves. Many of the linear and hoof angle measurements and their ratios were within the bounds reported within the literature and indicative of a balanced foot. The length and width measurements increased with horse age. The dorsal hoof wall (DHW) length:heel length ratios were consistently less than 3:1, and the absolute difference between toe and heel angle was generally greater than 5°. Between limb hoof variation was identified for a number of the morphologic measurements including frog length and sole length and the ratio of sole width:sole length. Flat feet (lack of concave solar surface) were identified in 21/75 (28%) horses and in 28/150 (19%) forelimb hoofs. More horses had a flat left foot (10/75) than right foot (4/75), but seven horses had both feet classified as being flat. Flat feet had 2.4 (1.1–5.6, P = .036) greater odds of presenting with uneven sulci. These data indicate that uneven sulci depth and flatter hooves with may be a typical presentation of Thoroughbred feet. Asymmetry in measurements between limb may reflect the greater loading of the left forelimb when race training counter clockwise.     

Relationship between acute phase proteins and hoof horn haemorrhages in postpartum first-lactation heifers

As part of a study of the development of hoof horn haemorrhages in first-lactation heifers, measurements were made of acute phase reactants to investigate the link between the acute phase response and the development of the haemorrhages. Over a period of two years, blood samples were taken from two separate groups of heifers, weekly in the three weeks before they calved and then twice weekly until eight weeks after calving. Plasma total protein, albumin, fibrinogen, haptoglobin, seromucoid and serum iron and caeruloplasmin were measured and the relationships between the peak concentration (or activity) or the area under the curve of each acute phase reactant and the peak scores for sole or white line haemorrhages were assessed by linear regression. The results suggested that the development of the hoof horn haemorrhages observed in the study was not accompanied by an acute phase response, and the haemorrhages were therefore not primarily caused by endotoxicosis. The diets and husbandry systems used were typical of dairy farms in the UK and the results therefore suggest that a significant proportion of hoof horn haemorrhages observed in UK dairy cows may not be caused by endotoxicosis.     

Prevalence of foot lesions in Danish Holstein cows

In a cross-sectional study of 6240 Danish Holstein cows in 55 herds using loose-housing systems, sole haemorrhages and heel horn erosions occurred frequently in almost all the herds. Digital dermatitis occurred in 47 of the 55 herds (85 per cent). Spearman correlation coefficients revealed relationships between lameness and sole ulcer (0.36), between heel horn erosion and sole haemorrhage (0.39), between heel horn erosion and interdigital dermatitis (0.29) and between sole ulcer and double sole (0.26). The prevalence of heel horn erosion, sole haemorrhage, interdigital dermatitis and digital dermatitis appeared to be most affected by herd-level factors. The associations between individual foot trimmers and all the foot lesions were statistically significant. The risk of interdigital dermatitis increased with decreasing amounts of bedding. Cows housed throughout the year had a marginally higher risk of sole haemorrhage.     

The effect of claw trimming on the hoof health of Swedish dairy cattle

A 2-year experiment on the effect of claw trimming on hoof health was performed in 77 Swedish dairy herds (3444 dairy cattle) selected on herd size, breed composition and membership in the official milk-recording scheme. In the autumn, cows within each herd were blocked according to breed, parity and stage of lactation and allocated to two treatments: autumn trimming (AT) or no autumn trimming (NAT). Outcome variables were claw measurements and prevalence of hoof lesions and lameness (measured at spring trimming) and the need for hoof treatments between scheduled trimmings. At spring trimming, NAT cows had longer and shallower claws than AT cows. The average net growth of the toe wall was greater for AT than for NAT cattle, with a marked variation between housing systems. Most hoof lesions present at AT had disappeared at the subsequent spring trimming. Controlled for clustering by herd-within-year and for the effects of individual-and herd-level covariates, AT cattle at spring trimmings had significantly lower odds of lameness (OR=0.66) and of haemorrhages of the sole or white-line (OR=0.86), sole ulcer (OR=0.59) and white-line fissure or double sole (OR=0.71)-but not of moderate-to-severe heel-horn erosion or dermatitis (OR=0.96). Acute hoof treatments between claw trimmings were more common in the NAT group (OR=2.02).     

Effect of mixed maize-legume silages on milk quality and quantity from lactating smallholder dairy cows

The study investigated the effect of the following maize:legume (70:30) mixed crop silages: maize:cowpea, maize:velvet bean, and maize:lablab on milk production during the 2016 dry season. Using a 5?×?5 double Latin square design, five Holstein-Friesian crossbred cows in early lactation (30?±?15 days) and five Jersey crossbred cows in early lactation (25?±?10 days) were given the supplementary mixed crop silage diets at 0.5 kg/l of milk produced over 105 days. Commercial dairy meal and sole maize silage were used as positive and negative controls, respectively. Milk yield was significantly higher (P?< 0.05) in cows given the dairy meal compared to mixed crop silages; however, milk yield was also significantly higher (P?< 0.05) for cows given the three mixed crop silages compared to cows given sole maize silage. Cows given mixed crop silages produced milk of significantly higher protein content (P?< 0.05) than those given sole maize silage. There was no significant difference (P?> 0.05) in butterfat content of milk across all the dietary treatments. The dietary cost of producing 1 l of milk was highest at 0.31USD/l for cows given commercial dairy meal and lowest for cows given maize:velvet bean and maize:cowpea silage at 0.19USD/kg. The highest dietary gross margins of 68% were observed when cows were given maize:velvet mixed silage compared to commercial dairy meal (47%) and sole maize silage (57%). The 70:30 maize:legume mixed crop silages showed the capability to increase milk quantity and quality at very low production costs in smallholder dairy schemes.     

Prevalence of claw lesions in Norwegian dairy cattle housed in tie stalls and free stalls

Approximately 88% of Norwegian dairy cattle are housed in tie stalls. Free-stall housing will be implemented for all cattle within 20 years. This means that most existing barns have to be rebuilt in the near future. We designed our study to estimate the prevalence of claw lesions in Norway and to reveal possible differences between tie stalls and free stalls. Fifty-five tie-stall herds and 57 free-stall herds were sampled by computerized systematic selection and 2665 cows were trimmed by 13 claw trimmers, during the late winter and spring of 2002. The claw trimmers had been taught diagnosing and recording of claw lesions. Environmental factors, management and feeding routines also were recorded. Forty-eight percent of cows housed in tie stalls had one or more claw lesions versus 71.8% in free stalls. Prevalences recorded in the hind claws were: 4.2% of the animals had dermatitis in tie stalls versus 5.7% in free stalls; 7.9% versus 38.0% had heel–horn erosions; 7.3% versus 13.6% had haemorrhages of the white line; 11.7% versus 20.4% had haemorrhages of the sole; 2.8% versus 3.2% had sole ulcers and 5.5% versus 9.7% had white-line fissures. Most lesions were mild. A model was designed to estimate cluster effects within herd and within claw trimmer. The cluster effect within herd was significant for all lesions. The cluster effect within claw trimmer was only significant for heel–horn erosions in front and hind claws and for white-line fissures in front claws. Agreements between some of the claw lesions were revealed. The study confirms that in Norwegian dairy cattle, most claw lesions are more prevalent in free stalls than in tie stalls.     

Effects of toe angle on hoof growth and contraction in the horse

The effects of toe angle on the growth of the unshod hooves of mature horses were measured over 126 days. The hooves of 4 horses were trimmed long in the toe and short in the heel (“LT”), with toe angles of 40° for the forelimb and 50° for the hind limb hooves; 4 others were trimmed short in the toe and long in the heel (“ST”), with toe angles of 50° for the forelimb and 55° for the hind limb hooves. Growth of the hoof wall at the toe ranged between .19 and .28 mm/day, and was slowest in the forelimb hooves trimmed ST. After 126 days, the hooves trimmed LT were 7% smaller in width than they had been at day 0. Narrowing of the hoof walls and frogs was accompanied by deformation of the angles of the walls (bending outward of their weightbearing surfaces). Frog lengths and sole areas were not affected by toe angle. Regardless of trimming method, all forelimb hooves tended to return to a toe angle of 45° between trimmings, while all hind limb hooves tended toward toe angles of 52° to 53°. The soles of all hooves were basically circular in shape, although the hooves trimmed LT tended to be skewed to the left, as viewed from above, after 126 days.     

An outbreak of toe ulcers,sole ulcers and white line disease in a group of dairy heifers immediately after calving

Abstract

CASE HISTORY: An outbreak of severe lameness was reported on a 780-cow spring-calving dairy herd in the Manawatu region within 1–3 weeks of calving, which affected over 90% of a group of 150 dairy heifers. Approximately 3 weeks before the planned start of calving heifers had been fed maize and grass silage on a concrete feed pad for 3–4 h per day, and mixed with a group of adult cows.

CLINICAL FINDINGS: During treatment for lameness, the feet of 28 lame heifers were closely examined. Seventy lesions were recorded in the claws of these heifers. The predominant lesion was severe solar and white line haemorrhage, with much of the haemorrhage focussed at the site at which sole ulcers are normally seen. White line disease was seen in nine claws and sole ulcers in four. Additionally, a lesion which is not commonly recorded in New Zealand, a toe abscess arising from separation of the white line from the sole in the abaxial region of tip of the toe was recorded in 11 claws. The clinical impression was that the soles of the affected heifers were very thin. This was supported by examination of the feet of eight heifers using ultrasonography that indicated heifers with hoof horn haemorrhages had very thin soles (estimated mean 4.1 mm) and that these soles were thinner than those in non-lame heifers without haemorrhages.

DIAGNOSIS: The pattern of disease seen in these heifers closely matched that seen in an outbreak of lameness in heifers in Florida, which was linked to thin soles resulting from excess hoof horn wear. The clinical signs and findings of the examination using ultrasonography strongly implicated thin soles as the underlying cause of lameness on this farm. An on-farm investigation revealed a combination of heifer behaviour and prolonged exposure to wet concrete on the feed pad were the primary causes of excess wear that resulted in thin soles.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE: This was an unusual outbreak of lameness in a group of newly calved heifers. The problem highlights the value of good management during the transition of heifers at pasture to the lactating herd standing on concrete for long periods, in the control of lameness.     

Claw trimming routines in relation to claw lesions, claw shape and lameness in Norwegian dairy herds housed in tie stalls and free stalls

We assessed the prevalence of claw lesions, abnormal claw shapes and lameness in relation to most-recent claw-trimming routines in Norwegian dairy herds housed in tie stalls and free stalls. Equal-sized groups were randomly sampled from both tie and free stalls in each of the three most animal-dense regions in Norway. The study population consisted of 2551 cows of the Norwegian Red breed housed in 54 tie stalls and 52 free stalls. Fourteen educated claw trimmers performed claw trimming and recording of claw lesions once during the spring of 2002. A multivariable model including cluster effects and individual-cow factors was fit for each claw lesion and abnormal claw shape.

In tie-stall herds with routine trimming 39.9% of the cows had one or more lesions or abnormal shapes in front or hind claws versus 52.8% in herds with no routine trimming. Hind-claw results in tie stalls with concrete stall base: herds trimmed occasionally had more haemorrhages of the white line (OR = 2.8) and corkscrewed hind claws (OR = 3.6) versus herds trimmed routinely; herds never trimmed had more heel-horn erosions (OR = 2.6) versus herds trimmed routinely and less haemorrhages of the white line (OR = 0.3) and the sole (OR = 0.2) versus herds trimmed occasionally.

In free-stall herds with routine trimming 76.8% of the cows had one or more lesions or abnormal shapes in front or hind claws versus 68.9% in herds with no routine trimming. Hind-claw results in free stalls with concrete stall base: herds never trimmed had less haemorrhages of the white line (OR = 0.3) and the sole (OR = 0.3) versus herds trimmed routinely; and also less haemorrhages of the white line (OR = 0.3) and white-line fissures (OR = 0.3) versus herds trimmed occasionally. Hind-claw results in free stalls with rubber-mat stall base: herds trimmed occasionally had less heel-horn erosions (OR = 0.5) and more dermatitis (OR = 5.4) versus herds trimmed routinely.

The routine claw trimming performed in Norwegian free stalls has not had the desired effects on claw lesions and abnormal claw shapes. Routine trimming in tie stalls, however, seems to have prevented claw disorders.     

Influence of floor surface and access to pasture on claw health in dairy cows kept in cubicle housing systems

In this study, the effects on the claw health of dairy cows of three different floor types and access to pasture were investigated on 35 farms. The farms were fitted with a given floor type in the indoor walking area of a cubicle housing system: a solid rubber, mastic asphalt or slatted concrete floor. Because we chose farms on which the given floor type was in good condition, the data presented show what can be achieved on these types of floors under ideal circumstances. Cows on half of the farms per floor type had access to pasture during the grazing period. Each farm was visited three times at approx. 6-month intervals at the end of the winter indoor-housing period and at the end of the summer period, i.e. after the period with access to pasture on half of the farms. During each visit, the claw health of the same 10 cows per farm was assessed on the occasion of routine claw trimming. The proportion of cows with haemorrhages increased from mastic asphalt to rubber and slatted concrete floors. A lower proportion of cows kept on mastic asphalt was affected by white-line fissures and needed intermittent claw-trimming, an indicator for lameness. Cows housed in cubicle systems with slatted concrete floors were at the lowest risk of having heel-horn erosions. Access to pasture was associated with a lower incidence of slight white-line fissures and dermatitis digitalis. A higher proportion of cows with sole haemorrhages and sole ulcers were found on all floor types at the end of the summer period than at the end of the winter indoor-housing period. Floor type did not influence the presence of sole ulcers and deep white-line fissures. In conclusion, the effect of floor type on claw health was slight, and none of the investigated floor types was clearly superior to the others. Access to pasture was not effective in reducing the presence of most types of claw lesions associated with the floor type used in the indoor walking area.     

Sole ulcers in Finnish dairy cattle

The Finnish Healthy Hooves project was set up to determine the frequency of, and risk factors for various hoof lesions in Finnish dairy herds. Data were collected in the years 2003 and 2004. A large dataset of over 74,000 cow-level observations recorded by hoof trimmers was merged with production data from the Finnish Agricultural Data Processing Centre Ltd. Ultimately, data from a single lactation from each of 16,792 cows in 703 herds were used for the analyses in this paper. Three-level hierarchical logistic models with hoof trimmer and farms (within hoof trimmer) as random effects were fit to data sets of tie stall (TS) and loose housing (LH) herds separately. The outcome of interest was the presence or absence of a sole ulcer in one or more legs of a cow during the lactation of interest.Cows examined once had a risk of sole ulcer 5.23% in tie stall herds and 7.58% in LH herds. As the number of examinations increased the odds of a diagnosis of sole ulcer increased substantially (2 and 3+ examinations had odds ratios (ORs) of 1.42 and 3.42 in TS herds and 2.77 and 6.89 in LH herds). Breed had a large effect on the risk of sole ulcer with Holsteins 2.89 times more likely to be affected than Ayrshires in TS herds and 2.94 times in LH herds. In TS herds, the presence of other hoof lesions such as haemorrhages (OR = 2.97), heel-horn erosions (OR = 2.10) and corkscrew claw (OR = 2.83) increased the risk of a sole ulcer developing. In LH herds, only haemorrhages (OR = 1.80) were a significant risk factor when parity was ≥2. In TS herds, use of mats (compared to hard flooring) significantly reduced the risk of sole ulcers (OR = 0.49). The effect of parity on the risk of sole ulcer was greatest when parity ≥4 but this effect was only significant in tie stalls (OR = 1.86).When analyses were restricted to cows with parity ≥2, similar results were obtained for the risk factors identified above. In addition, parity became highly significant in TS and LH (OR 2.31 and 2.23, respectively when parity was 4+). In TS herds, herd average milk production was significantly associated with a decrease risk of sole ulcer (OR = 1.28 per 1000 kg decrease) but there was no effect of production at the cow level (measured as deviation from the herd mean). No significant effects of production were observed in LH herds.