Understanding the role of hormones associated with parturition in the development of lameness in dairy cattle
Fund
AWF Research Fund
Grant
£3,490
Research Period
2019
Area of study
Student Research
Description
Investigator(s): Mollie Rudd
Supervisor(s): Professor Georgios Oikonomou
Claw horn disruption lesions (CHDL) are one of the most prevalent conditions associated with impaired mobility pain in dairy cattle worldwide. Despite the importance of CHDL, the reasons leading to their development have not yet been fully described. The anatomic structure of the foot, hormonal profiles, inflammation around calving, animal metabolism, and management practices have been thought to contribute. This research project, part of a larger Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) funded project, focused on the role relaxin (associated with parturition) may play in the development of CHDL.