The hidden cost of disease: I. Impact of the first incidence of mastitis on production and economic indicators of primiparous dairy cows

Abstract

Mastitis is a highly prevalent disease, which negatively affects cow performance, profitability, welfare, and longevity. The objectives of this study were (1) to quantify the impact of the first instance of mastitis, at different stages of lactation, on production and economic performance, and (2) to further quantify the impact of the first instance of mastitis when only cows that remain in the herd for at least 100 d in milk (DIM) and those that remain for 305 DIM are included in the analysis. A retrospective longitudinal study was conducted using data from existing animal health record files and Dairy Herd Improvement records. After editing based on selected inclusion criteria and completeness of health records, data consisted of records from first-lactation Holstein cows, from 120 herds, that calved for the first time between 2003 and 2014, inclusive. Mastitic cows were assigned to 1 of 4 groups based on when in the lactation the first event of mastitis occurred: transition (1-21 DIM), early lactation (22-100 DIM), mid lactation (101-200 DIM), or late lactation (201+ DIM). Mid-lactation and late-lactation mastitic cows were also stratified by cumulative milk yield before the mastitis event. Healthy cows (i.e., no recorded mastitis event) were randomly assigned for each lactation stage, with mid-lactation healthy and late-lactation healthy cows similarly stratified. Production performance (cumulative milk, fat, and protein yield) and economic performance [milk value, margin over feed cost (MOFC), and gross profit] were analyzed using a mixed model with herd as a random effect. Significant losses in cumulative milk yield (−382 to −989 kg) and correspondingly lower fat and protein yields were found in mastitic cows, with transition and late-lactation mastitic cows having the highest losses. Drops in production translated to significant reductions in cumulative milk value

Evaluation of Usefulness of Infrared Thermography for the Detection of Mastitis Based on Teat Skin Surface Temperatures in Dairy Cows

“…Similar indicators can be seen in other countries, so effective mastitis control programs, including early diagnosis of mastitis, are more important than treatment (Halasa et al 2007;Polat et al 2010). Puerto et al (2021) reported that in the case of mastitic cows, the drops in production was significant due to a significant decrease in cumulative milk value (-287 to 591 Can$, -228 to -470 US$), margin over feed cost to -429 US$) and gross profit (-649 to -908 Can$, -516 to -722 US$) for mastitic cows at all stages.…”

Effect of Peanut Shell and Rice Husk Bedding for Dairy Cows: An Analysis of Material Properties and Colostrum Microbiota

“…, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus are common microorganisms that endanger the health of cow udders and cause mastitis [ 31 , 32 , 33 ]. Major reductions are observed in performance (cumulative milk, fat and protein yield) and gross profit for cows with mastitis [ 34 , 35 ]. Cows with mastitis also have a decreased percentage of pregnancies for first artificial inseminations and increased pregnancy loss compared with healthy cows [ 36 ].…”

Quercetin Alleviates Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Inflammatory Response in Bovine Mammary Epithelial Cells by Suppressing TLR4/NF-κB Signaling Pathway

“…Bovine mastitis is a transmissible disease that decreases milk quality and yield ( 1 ). Furthermore, mastitis increases the culling rate, resulting in considerable economic losses to dairy farming worldwide ( 2 ).…”