Laura Solano

INTRODUCTION Adequate rest has been positively associated with productivity, health, and welfare of dairy cattle. When access to stalls is restricted, cows prioritize lying down over feeding (Munksgaard et al., 2005), and preventing cows from lying down induces stress (Cooper et al., 2008). As a consequence, measures of lying behavior, such as the daily duration and the frequency and duration of l ...

INTRODUCTIONDigital dermatitis (DD) is a widespread infectious foot lesion in cattle that typically causes painful ulcerative lesions (Cheli and Mortellaro, 1974; Read and Walker, 1998). Digital dermatitis has become endemic in intensively managed dairy systems (Blowey, 2005), affecting 70 to 95% of North American dairy farms (Cramer et al., 2008; USDA, 2009; Solano et al., 2016). The prevalence o ...

INTRODUCTIONDigital dermatitis (DD) is a widespread bacterial foot lesion in cattle that typically develops on the bulb of the heel, causing ulcerative lesions that may be uncomfortable or very painful (Cheli and Mortellaro, 1974; Döpfer et al., 1997). It is the most common foot lesion in confined dairy systems, with a prevalence ranging from 15 to 49% (Holzhauer et al., 2006; USDA, 2009; Sol ...

INTRODUCTIONLameness is one of the most important welfare, health, and productivity problems in intensive dairy farming worldwide. Furthermore, it causes pain (Whay et al., 1998; Rushen et al., 2007), reduces longevity (Booth et al., 2004; Canadian Dairy Information Centre, 2014), milk production (Warnick et al., 2001; Green et al., 2002), and reproductive performance (Hernandez et al., 2001; Garb ...

INTRODUCTIONLameness is a severe welfare problem in cattle and has a detrimental effect on longevity (Cramer et al., 2009a), productivity (Green et al., 2002), and reproductive performance (Barkema et al., 1994; Garbarino et al., 2004). Consequently, it is among disorders causing the largest economic losses in the dairy industry (Ettema and Ostergaard, 2006). Approximately 90% of the causes of lam ...