LAMENESS IN CATTLE: CAUSES AND CONSEQENCES

Cilj preučevanja je bila pogostnost pojava šepavosti pri kravah črno-bele in lisaste pasme ter križank. Zanimale so nas razlike v pogostnosti pojava šepavosti glede na pasmo, starost krav (zaporedna laktacija), stadij laktacije in način reje. Poskus smo izvedli na 10 izbranih kmetijah v obdobju od avgusta 2011 do julija 2012. Skupno je bilo v primerjavo vključenih 2.969 ocen šepavosti pri črno-beli pasmi, 1.219 ocen pri lisasti pasmi in 718 ocen pri kravah križankah. Primerjava ocen šepavosti po pasmah je pokazala razliko med posameznimi pasmami in med kmetijami. Pri primerjavi ocen šepavosti glede na zaporedno laktacijo smo ugotovili povečanje pojava šepavosti pri vseh pasmah pri starejših živalih. Pojavnost šepavosti se s številom zaporednih laktacij povečuje. Rezultati primerjave kažejo tudi razlike med pasmami pri ocenah šepavosti glede na stadij laktacije, in sicer se pojavnost šepavosti v zadnjih 100 dnevih laktacije pri črno-beli pasmi in križankah poveča. Krave lisaste pasme so imele v zadnjih 100 dnevih laktacije manjšo pojavnost šepavosti kot na začetku laktacije. Pri črno-beli pasmi je statistično značilna korelacija (p ≤ 0,05) med večino lastnosti eksteriera in pojavnostjo šepavosti, medtem ko je teh statistično značilnih korelacij (p ≤ 0,05) nekoliko manj pri lisasti pasmi in križankah.The goal of the study was to determine the frequency of lameness with cows of black and white (Holstein-Frisian) breed, Simmental breed and crossbreeds. We were interested in differences in frequency of lameness considering the breed, age of cows (number of lactation), stage of lactation and different housing systems. Experiment was implemented on 10 selected farms during the period from August 2011 to July 2012. All together 2,969 cows of holstein breed, 1,219 cows of Simmental breed and 718 crossbreed cows were included in the study. Comparison of scores of lameness has shown differences between breeds and between farms. Comparison of scores of lameness considering age has shown increase of frequency of lameness at all breeds with increasing age of animals. The presence of lameness increases at later lactations. Results show differences between breeds at score of lameness considering stage of lactation, namely the presence of lameness increases at HF breed and crossbreed cows in last 100 days of lactation. Cows of Simmental breed show lower presence of lameness during last 100 days comparing to earlier stage of lactation. The black and white breed shows significant correlation (p ≤ 0.05) between score for exterior and occurrence of lameness while at other breeds incidence of significant correlations (p ≤ 0.05) is somewhat lower