Background: Mechanical interactions between hard floorings and the sole of bovine claws can be reasonable to cause traumatic claw lesions. In this ex vivo study, the direct kinetic impact of concrete and three types of rubber mats on the sole of dairy cattle claws was analyzed. In order to apply uniform loads, isolated distal hind limbs of adult Holstein Friesian dairy cows were functionally trimmed according to the Dutch method and attached to a load applicator. Kinetic data were recorded using a thin, foil-based pressure measurement system (Hoof™ System, Tekscan®).
Results: On concrete, the load distribution between the lateral and medial claw was less balanced than on the rubber floorings. The loaded area was significantly smaller on concrete (32.2 cm2) compared to all rubber mats (48.3-58.0 cm2). Average pressures (Pav) and maximum pressures (Pmax) were significantly higher on concrete (Pav 44.7 N/cm2; Pmax 130.3 N/cm2) compared to the rubber floorings (Pav 24.9-29.7 N/cm2; Pmax 71.9-87.2 N/cm2). Pressure peaks occurred mainly in plantar and abaxial parts of the lateral claw and in apical and plantar regions of the medial claw. Load distribution displayed a widely unloaded slope region, but considering the pressure distribution under the claw, none of the zones showed a generally lower pressure exposure.
Conclusions: Altogether, rubber floorings lead to a significant mechanical relief of the sole compared to concrete. Furthermore, relevant differences between the tested rubber mats could be determined. Therefore the used system may be applied to compare further flooring types.
Keywords: Bovine claw; Concrete floor; Dairy cattle; Pressure distribution; Rubber mat.