Comparing Claw Overgrowth in Dairy Goats on Straw Bedding and Concrete Flooring: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract

Intensive dairy goat farms oftenly lack the abrasive properties found in goats' natural habitats. This contributes to claw overgrowth, leading to claw deformities, abnormal stances, and an increased risk of lameness. While regular claw trimming is commonly used to manage overgrowth, it has its own drawbacks. Providing a walking surface with higher abrasive properties is hypothesized to reduce or even eliminate the need for trimming. To test this hypothesis, a research barn was established with two groups of 200 lactating dairy goats each: one housed on concrete flooring (CF) and the other in straw pens (SP). Over the first two months, the groups were observed and compared for claw overgrowth, milk yield, milk composition (fat, protein, and urea content), somatic cell count (SCC), and the p