CXCL8 (also known as IL-8) is a member of the CXC subfamily of chemokines that binds two of the seven transmembrane G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), CXCR1 and CXCR2, to mediate and regulate leucocyte accumulation and activation at sites of inflammation. They are known to play a critical role in both disease susceptibility and infection outcome. The aim of this study was to investigate the entire sequences of CXCL8 and CXCR2 genes in thirty-one Simmental sires to evaluate the effects of genomic variants on the indexes of the bulls for milk, fat and protein yields, and for somatic cell score (SCS). Five new single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were found in CXCR2 gene. The analysis of association indicated that one SNP in CXCL8 and two in CXCR2 influenced the considered traits. To evaluate the existence of functional haplotypic effects, combinations among the three genomic variants (SNP 1 in CXCL8, SNP 6 and SNP 7 in CXCR2) were investigated. Four different haplotypic alleles were identified in the experimental population, one of which at a high frequency (61%). Bulls with Hap 4 (G-C-G at SNP 1, SNP 6, and SNP 7 respectively) had more favourable indexes for SCS (P < 0.05). These results suggest that the SNPs in CXCL8 and CXCR2 may be potential genetic markers to improve udder health in the Simmental breed.

The experiment reported in this research paper aimed to evaluate the effects of high-starch or starch and oil-supplemented diets on rumen and faecal bacteria, and explore links between the structure of bacterial communities and milk fatty acid (FA) profiles. We used four Holstein dairy cows in a 4 × 4 Latin square design. Cows were fed a diet rich in cereals (high-starch diet with 23% starch content on dry matter (DM) basis), a diet supplemented with saturated FA from Ca salts of palm oil + 18% DM starch, a diet with high content of monounsaturated FA (from extruded rapeseeds) + 18% DM starch or a diet rich in polyunsaturated FA (from extruded sunflower seeds) + 17% DM starch. At the end of each experimental period, cows were sampled for rumen and faecal contents, which were used for DNA extraction and amplicon sequencing. Partial least squares (PLS) regression analysis highlighted diet-related changes in both rumen and faecal bacterial structures. Sparse PLS discriminant analysis was further employed to identify biologically relevant operational taxonomical units (OTUs) driving these differences. Our results show that Butyrivibrio discriminated the high-starch diet and linked positively with higher concentrations of milk odd- and branched-chain FA. YS2-related OTUs were key taxa distinguishing diets supplemented with Ca salts of palm oil or sunflower seeds and correlated positively with linoleic acid in milk. Similarly, diets modulated faecal bacterial composition. However, correlations between changes in faecal and rumen bacteria were poor. With this work, we demonstrated that high-starch or lipid-supplemented diets affect rumen and faecal bacterial community structure, and these changes could have a knock-on effect on milk FA profiles.

This study evaluated the impact of three distinct diets; perennial ryegrass (GRS), perennial ryegrass/white clover (CLV) and total mixed ration (TMR), on the sensory properties and volatile profile of whole milk powder (WMP). The samples were evaluated using a hedonic sensory acceptance test (n = 99 consumers) and by optimised descriptive profiling (ODP) using trained assessors (n = 33). Volatile profiling was achieved by gas chromatography mass spectrometry using three different extraction techniques; headspace solid phase micro-extraction, thermal desorption and high capacity sorptive extraction. Significant differences were evident in both sensory perception and the volatile profiles of the WMP based on the diet, with WMP from GRS and CLV more similar than WMP from TMR. Consumers scored WMP from CLV diets highest for overall acceptability, flavour and quality, and WMP from TMR diets highest for cooked flavour and aftertaste. ODP analysis found that WMP from TMR diets had greater caramelised flavour, sweet aroma and sweet taste, and that WMP from GRS diets had greater cooked aroma and cooked flavour, with WMP derived from CLV diets having greater scores for liking of colour and creamy aroma. Sixty four VOCs were identified, twenty six were found to vary significantly based on diet and seventeen of these were derived from fatty acids; lactones, alcohols, aldehydes, ketones and esters. The abundance of δ-decalactone and δ-dodecalactone was very high in WMP derived from CLV and GRS diets as was γ-dodecalactone derived from a TMR diet. These lactones appeared to influence sweet, creamy, and caramelised attributes in the resultant WMP samples. The differences in these VOC derived from lipids due to diet are probably further exacerbated by the thermal treatments used in WMP manufacture.

In this research communication we describe a straightforward triplex-PCR protocol able to differentiate the origin of milk from three closely related species (goat, sheep and cow) in Halloumi, a cheese with Protected Designation of Origin (PDO), and yogurts. Halloumi must contain at least 51% sheep or goat milk, therefore, the fraudulent adulteration of this cheese with excess of cow milk must be routinely tested. The assay employs one universal forward primer and three species-specific reverse primers giving rise to 287 bp (cow), 313 bp (goat), and 336 bp (sheep) amplicons, under the same amplification conditions. This protocol, when used to test a small number of Cyprus commercial products, correctly detected mislabeling in Halloumi (2 out of 6 samples were adulterated) and yogurt brands (1 out of 4 was adulterated). The suggested protocol is a reliable tool for identifying the origin of milk in Halloumi cheeses and yogurts and can be used in any laboratory equipped with a thermocycler and an agarose gel electrophoresis apparatus.

This research paper addresses the hypothesis that the optimum doses of a continuous type of ultraviolet (UV) light applied to the surface of lor (whey) cheese needs to be identified to maximize mould inactivation and shelf life while minimizing quality deterioration. Therefore, the mould inactivation, protein and lipid oxidation products, sensory and colour attributes of lor cheese subjected to different doses of UV light (1.617, 4.018, and 36.832 kJ/m2) in a continuous type of UV system were evaluated. UV treated samples presented mould counts lower than those of untreated ones. UV treatment at more than 4.018 kJ/m2 allowed around 0.7–2.7 log reductions on mould growth during storage. The increase in UV light dose caused significant increases in primary and secondary lipid oxidation products. In particular, the highest doses applied to the surface of cheese samples had the highest values of protein carbonyls, as well as lipid oxidation products. Strong positive correlations were recorded between lipid and protein oxidation markers. Exposure to the highest doses of UV light increased foreign flavour perception, probably due to the oxidative reactions. The results indicated that the application of UV light to the lor cheese surface allowed delaying mould growth during storage but extreme doses could induce lipid and protein oxidation reactions, leading to quality deterioration.

This research communication reports concentrations of two sialic acids (SA), N-acetylneuraminic (Neu5Ac) and N-glycolylneuraminic (Neu5Gc), in fresh milk from different cow breeds throughout lactation. According to published studies, the two SA types found in animal-derived products have diverse and conflicting effects on human health, but SA content is not routinely analysed in individual milk cows samples. We measured the content of Neu5Ac and Neu5Gc in milk from Holstein Friesian (HO), Simmental (SM), Simmental × Holstein crossbred (SM×HO), and Podolica (POD) cows at 60 and 120 d following calving. HO, SM and SM×HO were reared in an intensive production while POD were raised in an extensive system. Results showed that total Neu5Ac was overall thirty times more abundant than Neu5Gc, and their concentrations were higher at 120 d than at 60 d (P < 0.001). Neu5Gc values were greater in HO, SM, and SM × HO than in POD (P < 0.001), while HO had a higher Neu5Ac value than the other three breeds (P < 0.001). These findings shed light on the differences in SA content among cow breeds and lay the groundwork for future research to select animals that produce milk with desirable characteristics for human health.

This study was designed to show the changes in glycolmacropeptides (GMPs) of whey protein solution (WPS) due to different pretreatments before and after ultrafiltration (UF). The combined form of two variants (A&B) of GMPs is a helpful compound for nutritional management of phenylketonuria and ulcerative-colitis diseases and has low content of phenylalanine (Phe). WPS with 10% concentration was prepared, acidified (adjusted to pH = 3.0), and passed through a PES (polyethersulfone) membrane in the 1st-stage of ultrafiltration (UF-1). Then the resulting permeate was neutralized and went through the 2nd-stage of ultrafiltration (UF-2) under similar conditions. Four experiments of TRT-CON, CON-TRT, TRT-TRT, and CON-CON were used with different pretreatments, where TRT was a mixing-treatment of 30 min at 150 RPM applied either after acidification of WPS or after neutralization of first permeate and before UF-2 process. While the concentration and purity of the combined GMPs in UF-2 retentate in TRT-TRT respectively were >95.6 and 99.5%, its Phe became <10 ppm among the experiments. Highly glycolyzed polymers of GMPs (MW = 45–50 kDa) were formed in the TRT-TRT experiment and went through the pore sizes of PES membrane of UF-1 easily because of their flexible structure. However, they remained in the UF-2 retentate, due to to the formation of bulky polymers. The TRT-TRT experiment had the highest reversible and irreversible resistances for passing through the UF-1 and remaining on the UF-2 membranes, and its fouling index was significantly less than other experiments.

Bakery by-products (BP), rich in fats and sugars, are unconventional feed sources for cows whose effects on milk fat composition have not yet been evaluated. This research paper aimed to assess the effects of dietary BP inclusion rate and feeding period on the milk fatty acid composition. Twenty-four Simmental cows were fed a diet without BP (CON) for 1 week. Then they either continued with the CON diet or switched to one of the BP diets (with 15% or 30% BP in diet dry matter) for 3 weeks. Milk samples were taken before diet change and three times during BP feeding and analysed for fatty acid composition. Data showed that increasing BP content in the diet increased total fatty acid intake, especially of 18 : 1 n9. In the milk fat, the percentages of total monounsaturated fatty acids especially of the 18 : 1 origin linearly increased with increasing dietary BP level. The percentage of fatty acids de novo synthesized in the mammary gland (the sum of 4 : 0–14 : 0) remained similar among diets (32-34% of total fatty acids). The 16 : 0 percentage dropped from 32.5 to 29.6% and from 33.6 to 28.3% for 15% and 30% BP, respectively. Only 30% BP elevated the percentage of conjugated linoleic acids (CLA: by 59%) compared with CON throughout the 3 weeks. Proportions of 18 : 2 n6 and 18 : 3 n3 and the n6:n3 ratio were unaffected by BP and feeding time. BP feeding improved all those estimated health indices of the milk fat that are suggested to be related to coronary health. In summary, the inclusion of BP in dairy rations beneficially shifted the milk fatty acid profile to more 18 : 1 fatty acids at the expense of 16 : 0. At a 30% inclusion rate, BP feeding showed an additional benefit of increased CLA content in milk fat.

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of an extended voluntary waiting period (VWP) on SCC, SCC elevations and clinical mastitis incidence during the complete lactation and the first 6 weeks of the next lactation. Holstein-Friesian dairy cows (N = 154) were blocked for parity, expected milk yield, calving season and breeding value for persistency and were randomly distributed across 3 VWP (50, 125, or 200 d: VWP-50, VWP-125, VWP-200). Cows were monitored from calving until 6 weeks into the next lactation, or until culling. An elevation of SCC in milk was defined as SCC in milk ≥200 000 cells/ml after two previous weeks with SCC < 200 000 cells/ml. Over the complete lactation, extending the VWP did not affect SCC elevations and the occurrence of clinical mastitis per lactation or per cow per year. There was no clear effect of VWP length on SCC in the complete lactation, except that multiparous cows in VWP-125 had a higher SCC compared with multiparous cows in VWP-50. Dry-off antibiotic usage per cow per year was lower in VWP-200 compared with VWP-50 for multiparous cows. In the first 6 weeks of the next lactation, cows in VWP-200 had a higher SCC compared with cows in VWP-50, with no effect of VWP on the number of elevations of SCC or the occurrence of clinical mastitis. Extending the VWP may therefore be used to reduce the frequency of transition periods and the associated use of dry-cow antibiotics, with limited impact on udder health, and a similar occurrence of SCC elevations and clinical mastitis per year.

The objective of this retrospective longitudinal study was to evaluate the relationship between dry period length and the production of milk, fat, protein, lactose and total milk solids in the subsequent lactation of Holstein dairy cows under tropical climate. After handling and cleaning of the data provided by the Holstein Cattle Breeders Association of Minas Gerais, data from 32 867 complete lactations of 19 535 Holstein animals that calved between 1993 and 2017 in 122 dairy herds located in Minas Gerais state (Brazil) were analysed. In addition to dry period length, calving age, lactation length, milking frequency, parity, calf status at birth, herd, year, and season of calving were included in the analysis as covariables to account for additional sources of variation. The machine learning algorithms gradient boosting machine, extreme gradient boosting machine, random forest and artificial neural network were used to train models using cross validation. The best model was selected based on four error metrics and used to evaluate the variable importance, the interaction strength between dry period length and the other variables, and to generate partial dependency plots. Random forest was the best model for all production outcomes evaluated. Dry period length was the third most important variable in predicting milk production and its components. No strong interactions were observed between the dry period and the other evaluated variables. The highest milk and lactose productions were observed with a 50-d long dry period, while fat, protein, and total milk solids were the highest with dry period lengths of 38, 38, and 44 d, respectively. Overall, dry period length is associated with the production of milk and its components in the subsequent lactation of Holstein cows under tropical climatic conditions, but the optimum length depends on the production outcome.

Greek yogurt is one of the fastest growing products in the dairy industry. It is also known as strained yogurt, which is obtained after draining the whey. As a result of the draining process, Greek yogurt has higher total solids and lower lactose than regular yogurt. Since it is a concentrated yogurt, its sensory characteristics are different from regular yogurt. However, there is little information about factors influencing the quality of Greek yogurt and sensory evaluation techniques applied to Greek yogurt. This review aims to describe the effects of ingredients, starter cultures, processing techniques and other parameters on quality characteristics and sensory properties of Greek yogurt. In addition, advantages and limitations of novel sensory evaluation techniques applied to Greek yogurt products are discussed. In particular, we take a look at advanced techniques such as the electronic nose and electronic tongue and the benefits of these techniques with regard to Greek yogurt. This review should help the Greek yogurt industry to improve its current products and develop innovative products based on appropriate food evaluation techniques.

The aim of this research communication was to examine and report the current situation of dairy farms in the province of Lugo (Galicia, Spain) regarding facility problems. We assessed the facilities of 168 free-stall dairy farms, housing in total 9228 Holstein cows in milk. Housing factors related to the resting area, circulation area, feeding area, ventilation area and milking area, as well as animal-handling features, were evaluated. Distance measurements were performed using a laser metre or a roll metric tape. A survey was conducted to gather information about cleaning and preventive protocols. Our results showed that most farms do not comply with the objective for cubicle measurements, width of the crossovers, type of flooring and presence of a quarantine pen, which may have a negative impact on the health and productivity of the animals. Therefore, to maximise the profits of the farm, the recommendations given in this study may be useful as a guide when building a new farm or remodelling the existing ones.

We investigated the use of near-infrared spectroscopy (NIR) for measuring water-holding capacity (WHC) in fermented milk. Increased WHC ensures improved texture and decreased syneresis in fermented dairy products and also improves cheese yield. NIR combined with partial least-squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) was found to be a promising rapid and non-invasive method with no pretreatment of the samples for prediction of WHC in fermented milk samples. Analysis of the chemical bonds in the region 10 700–4500 cm−1 (935–2200 nm) of the electromagnetic spectrum was able to distinguish between samples with high vs. low WHC. This technique was successfully used to screen different strains of lactic acid bacteria for their ability to provide fermented milk with increased WHC, which is of great importance for use in various dairy products.

Bovine κ-casein glycomacropeptide (GMP) is a sialic acid containing glycopeptide, which is considered as a health promoting compound found in cheese whey. The study described in this research communication was undertaken to determine whether GMP with undetectable level of contaminating protein or phenylalanine can be isolated from bovine whey fraction using batch anion exchange technique with chitin as an adsorbent. A soluble whey fraction (SWF) prepared from 1 g whey protein isolate (WPI) was mixed with a slurry of 1 g chitin, and the mixture was incubated at pH 3.0. After incubation, the mixture was filtered, and the residue obtained (containing chitin-GMP complex) was washed with water and eluted stepwise with 0.5 M NaCl and 2.0 M NaCl. Most of GMP (corresponding to 75.8% of total sialic acid recovered) was eluted with 0.5 M NaCl. The recovered GMP accounted for 5.4% dry weight of WPI (or 18.9% dry weight of SWF). Amino acid analysis showed that there was no detectable level of contaminating amino acids including phenylalanine, histidine, arginine and tyrosine in the GMP fraction. It was concluded that the batch anion exchange method with chitin developed in this study can be used for the isolation of high purity GMP from bovine SWF.

This research communication reports a study to model the growth curves for withers height (WH) and body weight (BW) to withers height ratio (BW:WH) using monthly records (from 1 to 24 months of age) for three breeds of dairy heifer (Holstein, Jersey and Brown Swiss). The data sets used were those reported by the Dairy Heifer Evaluation Project of Penn State Extension (USA) between 1991 and 1992. Four growth functions (monomolecular and Michaelis-Menten, both with diminishing returns behaviour, and Schumacher and López, both with asymptotic sigmoidal behaviour) were fitted using the non-linear regression procedure of the SigmaPlot software and the parameters estimated. The models were judged for goodness of fit using adjusted coefficient of determination ($R_{{\rm adj}}^2 $), root mean square error (RMSE), Akaike's information criterion (AIC) and Bayesian information criterion (BIC). Assessing the goodness of fit by $R_{{\rm adj}}^2 $ (>0.99 in all cases) reveals the generally appropriate fit of the models to the data. The non-sigmoidal functions (i.e. Michaelis–Menten and monomolecular) provided the best fits giving the lowest values of RMSE, AIC and BIC. Based on the chosen statistical criteria, the Schumacher and López equations provided acceptable fits to the WH and BW:WH growth curves, but showed points of inflexion at times before birth, indicating that these growth curves are not sigmoidal. In conclusion, evaluation of the different non-linear growth functions used in this study indicated their potential for modelling growth patterns in dairy heifers.

The form of oral calcium (Ca) supplement and the Ca source influence Ca absorption dynamics resulting in different postpartum calcemia. The objective of this study was to investigate whether an oral Ca supplement (mainly CaCO3) offered for voluntary consumption would maintain or increase postpartum blood Ca to the same degree as a Ca bolus (mainly CaCl2) providing an equivalent dose of a Ca. A total of 72 Holstein cows were blocked by expected parturition date and parity. Within each block of 3 animals, cows were randomly assigned to one of three treatments, including an oral Ca supplement offered for voluntary consumption (Ca-drink, n = 23), an oral Ca bolus (Ca-bolus, n = 24), or an untreated group (CON, n = 25). Treatments were administered once within 15 min postpartum. The Ca-drink provided 45 g of Ca (CaCO3 source) and was mixed in 20 L of lukewarm water and offered to cows for 30 min. The Ca-bolus provided 43 g of Ca (71% from CaCl2 and 29% from CaSO4) and was administered once. Both Ca-bolus and CON cows received 20-l of lukewarm water at parturition to standardize the volume of fluids (Ca-drink or 20-l lukewarm water) offered at parturition. Dairy cows offered Ca-drink had a 28% higher fluid consumption than Ca-bolus and CON cows. Milk yield and milk composition expressed in percentage protein, fat, lactose, and urea did not differ, whilst there was a small but significant increase in DMI in cows receiving the Ca-drink compared to CON, while Ca-bolus did not differ from other groups. This was consistent with reduced BW losses between week 1 and 3 in cows receiving the Ca-drink suspension. Treatment by time interactions were present for blood Ca, glucose, and urea concentrations. Blood Ca was relatively stable in Ca-drink cows, while higher fluctuations were observed in Ca-bolus cows. In Ca-bolus cows, blood Ca increased from 15 min to 6 h, decreased from 6 to 24 h, and finally increased again from 24 to 48 h. At 24 h post administration, blood Ca was greater in cows receiving the Ca-drink than cows receiving the Ca-bolus. Blood glucose was greater in Ca-bolus cows at 15 min after treatment administration compared with Ca-bolus and CON, while blood urea was higher in CON than Ca-drink and Ca-bolus throughout the sampling period. These results indicate that voluntary oral Ca resulted in a relatively stable calcemia, whereas higher fluctuations were observed in cows receiving the Ca-bolus. Due to a lack of differences between Ca-drink and Ca-bolus compared with CON, it is not possible to conclude regarding the efficacy in maintaining postpartum blood Ca.

This research communication evaluates experts’ opinions on the importance and weights of six gait aspects. In 2016, a Qualtrics (Qualtrics LLC., Provo, Utah) survey was distributed to lameness experts. Six gait aspects – general symmetry, tracking, spine curvature, head bobbing, speed and abduction as well as adduction were included. Respondents were asked to rank the gait aspects from 1 (most important) to 6 (least important), and to indicate which weight each gait aspect should receive when assessing lameness. For each gait aspect, frequency (percentage %) was used to describe the distribution of rank, and medians as well as 25th and 75th percentiles were used to summarize assigned weights. Thirty-nine percent of respondents ranked general symmetry first, followed by 32% for tracking, and 19% ranked spine curvature third. Head bobbing ranked fourth with 10% whereas, speed, abduction and adduction were not ranked. The median, 25th and 75th percentiles weight for each gait aspect were: general symmetry (25, 15, and 30), tracking (20, 10, and 30), spine curvature (20, 10, and 21), head bobbing (15, 10, and 20), speed (10, 5, and 20), and abduction and adduction (10, 5, and 10). General symmetry and tracking were deemed the most important gait aspects. A composite gait score can be calculated based on weighted importance of different gait aspects to indicate possible lameness.

We evaluated the relationship between plasma levels of anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) and the number of antral follicles at the restart of the follicular wave in crossbred Holstein cows reared under extensive grazing systems over 2500 m above sea level. The study included 140 cows from 15 farms that were in average at the 75.3 ± 2.10 d post partum. Animals were synchronized according to the following regime: day 0 = intravaginal progesterone releasing device (IPD) + estradiol benzoate (EB); day 7: withdrawal of IPD + prostaglandin; and day 8: EB, for restart of the follicular wave on day 11. On this day 11, antral follicle counts (AFCs) were made by transrectal ultrasound, and a plasma sample was taken for the determination of AMH. The mean AMH plasma level was 0.06 ± 0.03 ng/ml and the mean AFC was 17.26 ± 0.38 follicles. A strong positive linear correlation was found between these two variables (r = 0.783, r = 0.613, P < 0.0001). Cows were categorized according to AMH concentration as high (>0.09 ng/ml), intermediate (0.09–0.05 ng/ml) or low (<0.05 ng/ml). Cows with high AMH presented a higher AFC (25.0 ± 2.21 follicles) than those with low AMH (14.08 ± 2.68 follicles; P < 0.001. Our results suggest that the cut-off value of AMH = 0.09 ng/ml may be useful for selecting donors in multiple ovulation embryo transfer programs involving cows with these characteristics. Our data further suggest that AMH plasma concentration correlates with AFC and can be used as an endocrine biomarker of the number of antral follicles present at a given moment of the estrous cycle in crossbred Holstein cows raised at altitudes above 2500 m.

This research paper addresses the hypothesis that cow introductions in dairy herds affect milk production and behaviour of animals already in the herd. In dairy farms, cows are commonly regrouped or moved. Negative effects of regroupings on the introduced animals are reported in other studies. However, little is known about the effects on lactating cows in the herd. In this research a herd of 53 lactating dairy cows was divided into two groups in a cross-over design study. 25 cows were selected as focal cows for which continuous sensor data were collected. The treatment period consisted of replacing non-focal cows three times a week. Many potentially influencing factors were taken into account in the analysis. Replacement of cows in the treatment period indeed affected the focal animals. During the treatment period these cows showed increased walking and reduced rumination activity and produced less milk compared to the control period. Milk production per milking decreased in the treatment period up to 0.4 kg per milking on certain weekdays. Lying and standing behaviour were similar between the control and the treatment period. The current study suggests that cow introductions affect welfare and milk production of the cows already in the herd.

Despite extensive research leading to an improved understanding of the risk factors and pathogenesis of infectious and non-infectious disorders, claw health has not structurally improved in recent decades. Several studies have shown that claw disorders harm milk production, fertility and longevity of the dairy cows and job satisfaction of the farmer. This is enough reason to structurally improve claw health on dairy farms. The focus should be on a rapid curative intervention when lameness occurs and above all the prevention of claw problems. Most claw disorder diagnoses are nowadays made during regular claw trimming by the professional trimmer or the dairy farmer. Registration of the detected disorders during claw trimming is not always done consistently, so the estimated prevalence (number of cows with a claw disorder) is in most cases an underestimation of the real prevalence. The quality of these records often makes it difficult for consultants to formulate appropriate claw health advice. To be able to give good advice on claw health, insight into the prevalence of the various hoof disorders on a farm is a key condition. However, good quality advice alone is not a guarantee for an improved claw health situation on a farm. Research has shown that in addition to high quality substantiated advice, the communication style between the consultant and the dairy farmer is essential for the interpretation and motivation of the dairy farmer to implement the advice. In this paper a 7-point plan is presented as a guidance for herd advisors who want to support dairy farmers to improve claw health.