Table I.7.
Associations between herd size and lameness
| Country | System | n (a) | Herd size, ø (range) | Variable | Analysis (b) | Effect | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DE | Tie‐stall | 56 | 25.6 (4–61) | Lameness | MA | ↑ | Oehm et al. (2020) |
| DK | Cubicle | 36 | na | Lameness | MA | ns | Burow et al. (2014) |
| USA (NE) | Cubicle | 40 | na | Lameness | MA | ↓ | Chapinal et al. (2013) |
| USA (CA) | Cubicle | 39 | na | Lameness | MA | ↓ | Chapinal et al. (2013) |
| Severe lameness | MA | ns | |||||
| NL | Cubicle | 179 | (22–211) | Lameness | MA | ns | de Vries et al. (2015) |
| UK |
Cubicle Straw yard |
205 | 163 (37–642) | Lameness | MA | ns | Barker et al. (2010) |
| FR, DE, SI |
Cubicle Straw yard |
201 | 9–360 | Lameness | MA | ↑ | Sjöström et al. (2018) |
| ES |
Cubicle Straw yard |
201 | 9–360 | Lameness | MA | ↑/↓ (c) | Sjöström et al. (2018) |
| Algeria |
Tie‐stall, cubicle Pasture‐based |
14 | Small scale (d) | Lameness | UA | ↑ | Dendani‐Chadi et al. (2020) |
↓ = significantly less lameness in larger herds (p < 0.05), ↑ = significantly more lameness in larger herds (p < 0.05), ns = not significant (p > 0.05).
(a)
Number of farms.
(b)
Statistical analysis: MA = multivariable analysis (in the case of univariable pre‐selection of factors only effects of final models were considered), UA = univariable analysis.
(c)
Effect of herd size was non‐linear, with highest risk for medium herd sizes.
(d)
Herd size categories: ≤ 10, 11–30, > 30 cows, na – data not available.