Partial substitution, with their chelated complexes, of the inorganic zinc, copper and manganese in sow diets reduced the laminitic lesions in the claws and improved the morphometric characteristics of the hoof horn of sows from three Greek herds

Table 1 Frequency and mean total score of claw lesions for culled sows that received the ID and the SD

Foot	Toe	Score	Dietary status	Sole	Heel	White line	Wall	Coronary band	Mean total score
Front	Lateral	0	ID	78.21	48.72	71.80	66.67	98.72	5.07^1a	2.73^2a
		0	SD	89.33	74.67	85.33	74.67	94.67	3.47^1b	1.88^2b
		1	ID	20.51	24.36	21.79	30.77	1.28
		1	SD	10.67	21.33	14.67	24.00	5.33
		2	ID	1.28	26.92	6.41	2.56	NA
		2	SD	0.00	4.00	0.00	1.33	NA
	Medial	0	ID	83.33	61.54	74.36	69.23	100		2.34^3a
		0	SD	94.67	81.33	92.00	77.34	97.33		1.59^3b
		1	ID	16.67	23.08	23.08	25.64	0.00
		1	SD	5.33	18.67	8.00	21.33	2.67
		2	ID	0.00	15.38	2.56	5.13	NA
		2	SD	0.00	0.00	0.00	1.33	NA
Rear	Lateral	0	ID	65.39	23.08	65.39	58.98	98.72	5.80^4a	3.60^5a
		0	SD	72.00	46.67	73.33	72.00	100	4.06^4b	2.59^5b
		1	ID	25.64	29.49	26.92	33.33	1.28
		1	SD	28.00	38.67	24.00	22.67	0.00
		2	ID	8.97	47.43	7.69	7.69	NA
		2	SD	0.00	14.66	2.67	5.33	NA
	Medial	0	ID	85.90	64.10	79.49	71.79	98.72		2.20^6a
		0	SD	92.00	90.67	93.33	81.33	100		1.47^6b
		1	ID	12.82	26.92	15.38	23.08	1.28
		1	SD	8.00	8.00	6.67	16.00	0.00
		2	ID	1.28	8.98	5.13	5.13	NA
		2	SD	0.00	1.33	0.00	2.67	NA

The frequency (%) of lesions and the mean of the total lesion score of 312 claws from 78 sows that were on diets only with inorganic sources of Zn, Cu and Mn (Inorganic Diet: ID) until they were culled at weaning, and the frequency and the mean of the total lesion score of 300 claws from 75 sows, which were on diets with organic sources of Zn, Cu and Mn as a partial substitution of their total inorganic form (Supplemented Diet: SD), for one or two gestations until they were culled at weaning, from three Greek herds. The frequency of lesions is presented by anatomical site, severity score and by foot (front or rear) and toe (medial or lateral) location, and the mean of the total lesion score is presented by foot and toe.
^{1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6}Numbers in the superscript define the compared pairs of mean total lesion scores between the two mineral source diets.1 = front feet, 2 = lateral claws of front foot, 3 = medial claws of front foot, 4 = rear feet, 5 = lateral claws of rear foot and 6 = medial claws of rear foot.
^a,bPairs of mean total lesion scores with different lower case superscript letters are significant different (P < 0.05; Two sample t test).
NA not applicable because the lesions score of CB ranged from 0 to 1.

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