Can breeding improve hoof health?

For three years, data on hoof health was recorded on Canadian farms. The researchers found that the prevalence of digital dermatitis was considerably lower in progeny of sires with favourable hoof health breeding values. The next step is a national collection system of hoof lesion data in order to implement routine genetic and genomic evaluations for hoof health. According to a 2014 online questionnaire, lameness appears to be the number one health issue in Canadian dairy farms. On average, 5 t