Description

Principal Investigator: Mollie Rudd. Claw horn disruption lesions (CHDL) are 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 is part of a larger Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) funded project, in which all these factors will be studied together; this project will focus more specifically on the role of periparturient hormonal profiles.