The benefits of soft-abrasive walking areas

Studies show:

• animals prefer soft ground → freedom of movement is not restricted
• nature-orientated load conditions → nature-orientated abrasion
• claw abrasion and position correction 365 days a year

• measurements prove: claw angle remains fairly constant between 2 claw trimming dates ¹⁾

• physiological shape of the claw is preserved ²⁾

• less haematoma and dermatitis digitalis than with cows kept on concrete ²⁾

Problem animal housing:

claws often become too long and flat

Causes of incorrect claw form:

• too much abrasion on the bulb and heel horn erosion. This is a vicious circle, because the claw form is already “sloped” and results in imbalanced load

• high horn growth, often with poor horn quality through high yield, feeding etc.

• claws too long → Rusterholz sole ulcer

• hard abrasive surfaces smooth the claw flat (hardly any slope of the sole)

In nature:

sandy constituents in the elastic soil ensure that horn formation and abrasion are kept balanced

Correct claw form is important:

• good load conditions on the hoof wall

• high bulb reduces the risk of infectious claw diseases

Solution:

abrasive surfaces like pediKURA or profiKURA provide with the abrasive agent corundum and the special profiling integrated into the surface for gentle claw abrasion

Sources:

1) Benz, B.: „Feldversuch mit weichen, abrasiven Laufflächenbelägen in 6 Milchviehbetrieben”, 2009

2) Günther M.: „Vergleich von Klauenentwicklung und Klauengesundheit bei Milchkühen auf Spaltenboden mit teilweise abrasiven elastischen Auflagen und Betonspaltenboden”, 2015

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