The effect of rearing regime on the development of the mammary gland and claw abnormalities in high genetic merit Holstein-Friesian dairy herd replacements

One hundred and eight high genetic merit Holstein-Friesian heifers were used to determine the effects of rearing regime on the development of the mammary gland and claw abnormalities. Heifers were allocated to one of four rearing regimes at 7 weeks of age and slaughtered at 18 (s.d.0.7) months of age; mating commenced at 14 months of age. Treatment 1 heifers were reared to calve at 540 kg and treatments 2, 3 and 4 heifers reared to calve at 620 kg. Treatment 1 and 2 heifers were offered grass silage-based diets during the winter and grass-based diets during the summer; treatment 2 heifers received additional concentrates. Treatment 3 heifers were offered a straw/concentrate diet during the winter and a grass-based diet during the summer. Treatment 4 heifers received the same winter diets as treatment 3 but were housed and offered a straw/concentrate diet in summer. Increasing plane of nutrition increased the weight of dissected udder fat (P < 0.01), but had no effect on the weight or chemical composition of dissected udder parenchyma. Offering straw- compared with silage-based diets reduced fat deposition in the udder (P < 0.01) and increased the proportion of parenchyma in the udder (P < 0.01). Keeping heifers housed during the first summer and offering straw-based diets relative to those turned out to grass had no effect on weight of fat although there was a tendency towards a reduction in the proportion of parenchyma in the udder (P < 0.06). Heifers reared on a low plane of nutrition had lower values for heel height (P < 0.001), lateral claw length (P < 0.001) and heel erosion scores (P < 0.01). A higher plane of nutrition also increased live weight/sole area although this was only significantly higher for treatment 3 (P < 0.05) compared with treatment 1 heifers. Housing heifers in the first summer increased the incidence of feet lesions in the white line area and solear area relative to turning heifers out to grass in the first summer (P < 0.05).