A mixed methods inquiry: How dairy farmers perceive the value(s) of their involvement in an intensive dairy herd health management program

Kristensen, Elisabeth; Enevoldsen, Carsten

doi:10.1186/1751-0147-50-50

Cited by 83 publications

(69 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…After I started doing this, it seems that the calves come much better" (Man,65). This supports other studies that have also shown technical assistance can influence farmers' perceptions and attitudes and promote positive change (KRISTENSEN & ENEVOLDSEN, 2008;VAARST & SØRENSEN, 2009;CARDOSO et al, 2016b).…”

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confidence: 89%

Smallholder family farmers’ perceptions, attitudes and choices regarding husbandry practices that influence performance and welfare of lactating dairy calves

2017

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Smallholder family farmers' perceptions, attitudes and choices regarding husbandry practices that influence... Ciência Rural, v.47, n.11, 2017. INTRODUCTIONRearing dairy calves born at farm allows a close herd policy, reducing sanitary risks and production costs (TORSEIN et al., 2014). Although decisions regarding the management of young cattle markedly affect dairy farming performance, calf rearing is often neglected by farmers (HÖTZEL et al., 2014a;DOS SANTOS & BITTAR, 2015). To improve morbidity and mortality rates and calves' welfare, farmers need to understand how morbidity and mortality are related to daily management practices.In order to understand the relationship between management and morbimortality, it is necessary to first understand what factors are associated with it. When correct perception precede RURAL SOCIOLOGY

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confidence: 89%

Smallholder family farmers’ perceptions, attitudes and choices regarding husbandry practices that influence performance and welfare of lactating dairy calves

2017

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“…Previous research has shown that the relationship farmers have with their veterinarian is a significant predictor for participation in VHHM (Derks et al, 2013). Also, veterinarians are not always aware of the goals the farmer wants to reach (Kristensen and Enevoldsen, 2008;Derks et al, 2012b;Hall and Wapenaar, 2012), although knowledge of the farmer's goals is important for compliance to veterinary advice (Sorge et al, 2010). Finally, farmers can be hard to reach with preventive advice and sometimes need a more tailor-made approach (Jansen et al, 2010b).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Associations between farmer participation in veterinary herd health management programs and farm performance

Derks

Werven

Hogeveen

et al. 2014

Journal of Dairy Science

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In the past few decades, farms have increased in size and the focus of management has changed from curative to preventive. To help farmers cope with these changes, veterinarians offer veterinary herd health management (VHHM) programs, whose major objective is to support the farmer in reaching his farm performance goals. The association between farm performance and participation in VHHM, however, remains unknown. The aim of this paper was to compare farm performance parameters between participants and nonparticipants in VHHM and to differentiate within participation to evaluate the possible added value of VHHM on the farm. Five thousand farmers received a questionnaire about the level of VHHM on their farm. Farm performance parameters of these 5,000 farms were provided. For all respondents (n = 1,013), farm performance was compared between participants and nonparticipants and within level of participation, using linear mixed and linear regression models. Farmers who participated in VHHM produced 336 kg of milk/cow per year more and their average milk somatic cell count (SCC) was 8,340 cells/mL lower than farmers who did not participate in VHHM. Participating herds, however, had an older age at first calving (+12 d), a lower 56-d nonreturn rate percentage (−3.34%), and a higher number of inseminations per cow (+0.09 inseminations). They also had more cows culled per year (+1.05%), and a lower age at culling (−70 d). Participants in the most-extended form of VHHM (level 3) had a lower SCC (−19,800 cells/mL), fewer cows with high SCC (−1.70%), fewer cows with new high SCC (−0.47%), a shorter calving interval (−6.01 d), and fewer inseminations per heifer (−0.07 inseminations) than participants in the leastextended form of VHHM (level 1). Level 3 participants, however, also had more cows culled per year (+1.74%) and a lower age at culling (−103 d). Discussing specific topics with the veterinarian (milk production, fertility, and udder health) had only marginal effects on improving the farm performance parameters related to those topics. Given the relevance of fertility on the farm and the focus on longevity by society, it is important to determine underlying reasons for the negative associations of these topics with participation in VHHM. A longitudinal study could provide answers to this. For now, veterinarians should be aware of the associations. The increased milk production and milk quality could help the marketing of VHHM to farmers.

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“…Work from Scandinavia, utilising the Q methodology (Dziopa and Ahern, 2011), evaluated how dairy farmers perceived the value of involvement in health management programmes (Kristensen and Enevoldsen, 2008). That study challenged the belief that farmer's motivation was predominantly financial, as farmers identified teamwork, animal welfare and knowledge dissemination as their highest priorities.…”

Section: Economics Of Involvement In Incalfmentioning

confidence: 99%

Use of herd management programmes to improve the reproductive performance of dairy cattle

McDougall¹,

Heuer

Morton³

et al. 2014

Animal

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There has been a long history of herd health and production management programmes in many dairy industries around the world, but evidence for the efficacy of such programmes is limited. In response to a perceived decline in fertility of dairy cows, a herd reproductive management programme (InCalf) was introduced in New Zealand in 2007. This programme uses a management cycle approach that includes an assessment of the current herd status, identification of areas for improvement, development of a plan, implementation of this plan and finally a review process. The programme uses facilitators who work with farmers either in a oneto-one manner or in a formalised group setting that involves a series of meetings over a 12-month period (the farmer action group). The hypothesis that involvement in a reproductive management programme would improve herd reproductive performance was tested using a herd-level controlled randomised study (the National Herd Fertility Study) involving herds in four geographic regions of New Zealand over 2 years. Within each region, herds were ranked on the basis of the 6-week in-calf rate (i.e. the proportion of the herd pregnant in the first 6 weeks of the seasonal breeding programme) in the year preceding commencement of the study and then randomly assigned to be involved in a farmer action group or left as untreated controls. The key outcome variable of the study was the 6-week in-calf rate. Pregnancy diagnosis was undertaken at 12 weeks after the start of the seasonal breeding programme, which allowed determination of conception dates and hence calculation of the 6-week in-calf rate. Additional measurements including heifer live weight and body condition score (pre-calving and pre-mating) were undertaken to test whether treatment resulted in measurable changes in some of the key determinants of herd reproductive performance. Involvement in the farmer action group of InCalf resulted in a 2 percentage point increase in the 6-week in-calf rate ( P = 0.05). The following additional observations were made in herds involved in the farmer action group relative to control herds: heifers had live weight closer to target; the pre-mating body condition score of cows was higher; and oestrous detection rates were higher. It was concluded that involvement in this herd reproductive management programme improved reproductive outcomes in this New Zealand study. However, to achieve substantial improvements in herd reproductive performance at the regional or national level a greater response to the programme and a high uptake of such programmes is required, as well as use of other industry-level tools such as genetic management programmes.Keywords: dairy cows, fertility, randomised controlled trial, management programme Implications A planned animal health approach to dairy herd fertility was demonstrated, through a controlled randomised study, to improve fertility at herd level. The programme tested (InCalf) used a management cycle approach, that is assessment of current performance against goals and objecti...

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A mixed methods inquiry: How dairy farmers perceive the value(s) of their involvement in an intensive dairy herd health management program

Cited by 83 publications

References 23 publications

Smallholder family farmers’ perceptions, attitudes and choices regarding husbandry practices that influence performance and welfare of lactating dairy calves

Smallholder family farmers’ perceptions, attitudes and choices regarding husbandry practices that influence performance and welfare of lactating dairy calves

Associations between farmer participation in veterinary herd health management programs and farm performance

Use of herd management programmes to improve the reproductive performance of dairy cattle

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