THE INFLUENCE OF DIFFERENT CLAW TRIMMING METHODS ON PLASMA-CORTISOL REVELS IN DAIRY-COWS

The influence of two different methods of claw trimming was evaluated in a herd of 51 dairy cows of Fleckvieh and Braunvieh breed, with an a verage age of 4.9 years. The conventional farriers method with the cow standing in a stock was compared to the mechanic method using an angl ed grinding machine, with the cow kept in lying position using a tilte d table. A behaviour score was applied and the cortisol level was eval uated in blood serum using an enzyme-immunoassay. The pretrimming basi c blood level was median 1.4 ng/ml, increasing significantly to a medi an value of 37.4 ng/ml at the end of the trimming procedure, The corti sol values were still significantly higher after 24 hours, returning t o the preliminary values thereafter. The highest behaviour scale value s were obtained during the fixation of the animals in the stock, whils t the highest cortisol levels were obtained at the end of the claw tri mming procedure. No difference of cortisol levels were demonstrable be tween the two methods of claw trimming, also the degree of horn overgr owth had no influence on cortisol levels.