First-lactation performance in cows affected by digital dermatitis during the rearing period

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Medicine
• Animal Science
• Dairy Production

Background:

• Prepartum digital dermatitis (DD) is a significant concern in dairy herds.
• Understanding the long-term effects of early DD exposure on heifer performance is essential for herd management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the long-term effects of prepartum digital dermatitis (DD) on first-lactation performance in dairy heifers.
• To compare health, reproductive, and milk production outcomes between heifers with no, one, or multiple prepartum DD events.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 719 pregnant heifers was monitored for 6 months until calving.
• Heifers were classified into three groups based on the number of prepartum DD diagnoses (Type I, II, III).
• First-lactation outcomes including health, reproduction, and milk yield were compared across groups, adjusting for covariates.

Main Results:

• Heifers with prepartum DD (Types II and III) experienced significantly lower conception rates and increased days open.
• A higher risk and earlier occurrence of DD were observed during the first lactation in heifers with prior DD events.
• Statistically significant milk production losses (199-335 kg) were estimated in Types II and III heifers during the first 305 days in milk, attributed to reduced production persistence.

Conclusions:

• Prepartum digital dermatitis has detrimental long-term consequences on dairy heifer health, reproduction, and milk production during their first lactation.
• Implementing efficient DD prevention and control programs during the heifer rearing period is a priority.
• Proactive DD management strategies are expected to improve animal welfare and farm profitability by mitigating DD's impact on early lactation performance.