Evaluation of a risk assessment questionnaire in identifying facility and management factors associated with dairy cattle lameness in Alberta
Date
2019-12-24
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Abstract
A score-based lameness risk assessment questionnaire (RAQ) was conducted on 65 dairy farms in addition to the assessment of lameness and foot lesion prevalence, both infectious and non-infectious. Within-herd prevalence of lameness was 20%, remaining unchanged since the last assessment of lameness. Accuracy of the RAQ in identifying overall risk on farm was evaluated and determined to be inadequate with weak associations between total RAQ scores and lameness and lesion prevalence. When analyzing each question in the RAQ, 21 questions identified risk factors that were associated with lameness and lesions. After adjustment of the risk scores of categorical answers, the association between herd lameness and lesion prevalence and total RAQ scores improved but remained suboptimal. However, the questions that did identify risk factors can be used to support producers in prioritizing implemented changes for lameness control and mitigation.
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Keywords
dairy cattle, lameness, risk assessment, foot lesions
Citation
van Huyssteen, M. (2019). Evaluation of a risk assessment questionnaire in identifying facility and management factors associated with dairy cattle lameness in Alberta (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.