Stress, Strain and Deformation of the Bovine Digit on Different Floorings in Finite Element Analysis

The bovine claw when loaded interacts with different ground surfaces (De BELIE, N. and ROMBOUT, E., 2003; SCOTT, 1998; van der TOL et al., 2002). Soft surfaces allow the claw to sink into the ground. Hard ground is less comfortable and usually aggravates painful situations in the claw (BERGSTEN, 2004; BLOWEY, 1998; SOMERS et al., 2003). Keeping cattle inside, as is necessary in many environments, often means them living on hard flooring with or without bedding. Stress and strain in the claw capsule when only partially supported like on slatted floors or concrete edges have been analyzed in finite element analysis (FEA) before (HINTERHOFER, et al., 2006). Results focussed on the mechanical insults of reduced support and edges on the weight bearing surface and its consequences for the horn material of the claw capsule. With the help of a finite element model (FEM) of a ...