Resumen
Our study aimed to evaluate the relationship between calving difficulty and lameness and association with milk composition. Calving scores were recorded in Lithuania between 2018 and 2020 with Lithuanian black and white cows. A total of 4723 calving cases were evaluated using a 4-point scoring system. Lameness was diagnosed by training staff, and this was followed from 1 to 30 days after calving in 333 fresh dairy cows. Lameness was scored twice a week using a locomotion scoring system from 1 to 30 days after calving. Cows were divided into two groups: non-lame cows and lame cows. Milk yield, milk electrical conductivity and composition parameters?fat, protein, lactose, urea?were recorded using Lely Astronaut® A3 milking robots. In the lame cow group, we observed 14.2% more animals with calving difficulty as compared with non-lame cows. On average, non-lame cows increased their daily milk yield by 1.24 kg, had higher milk protein by 0.04% and produced 0.10% more milk lactose as compared with lame cows. The cell counts for non-lame animals were lower than for lame animals, but both groups had relatively low cell counts, and thus, the difference would seem to be unimportant from a biological perspective. Calving difficulty carried a 2.09-fold higher risk of lameness in cows.