Management and Housing Factors Affecting Feet and Leg Soundness in Dairy Cattle

Abstract

When cattle were confined, they were kept on dirt or on copius amounts of soft bedding. Under such conditions, the dairy farmer's chief complaint about the feet and legs of cattle was that their hooves did not wear properly. We would like to suggest that, while the floor surface must be considered, many other factors contribute significantly to foot and leg disorders and must not be neglected. Recommendations are based on our personal opinions formed from visiting a large number of dairy herds, reviewing the available literature, and many discussions with other researchers in the area.