Evaluating the correlation between hoof overgrowth, foot diseases, lameness, and body condition in Murcia-Granada, Anglo-Nubian, and Boer goats

Abstract

Hoof deformities-a common problem faced on goat farms- are considered to lead to various foot diseases. The aim of this study is to evaluate the correlation between hoof size and deformation, lameness score, body condition score, and white line disease in goats. Goats from the Murcia-Granada, Anglo-Nubian, and Boer breeds, aged between 1-4 years and weighing 26-61 kg, were used as the study material. Care was taken to ensure that the goats had the same care and feeding conditions. The assessment was performed using various scoring systems. It was determined that 79.51% of the goats had overgrown hooves. The Boer breed had the highest score for overgrown hooves, followed by the Anglo-Nubian and Murcia-Granada breeds. The Anglo-Nubian goats had higher scores for white line disease than the other breeds. It was also observed that lameness worsened as hooves were overgrown in the Boer and Murcia-Granada goat breeds, and body condition scores dropped in the Boer breed as their hooves overgrew. Consequently, it was observed that hoof overgrowth and deformation can cause many negative effects in goats. The most important way to eliminate these problems is considered to implement regular hoof care in accordance with the standards.