The Whole and the Parts—A New Perspective on Production Diseases and Economic Sustainability in Dairy Farming

Abstract

The levels of production diseases (PD) and the cow replacement rate are high in dairy farming. They indicate excessive production demands on the cow and a poor state of animal welfare. This is the subject of increasing public debate. The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of production diseases on the economic sustainability of dairy farms. The contributions of individual culled cows to the farm’s economic performance were calculated, based on milk recording and accounting data from 32 farms in Germany. Cows were identified as ‘profit cows’ when they reached their individual ‘break-even point’. Data from milk recordings (yield and indicators for PD) were used to cluster farms by means of a principal component and a cluster analysis. The analysis revealed five clusters of farms. The average proportion of profit cows was 57.5%, 55.6%, 44.1%, 29.4% and 19.5%. Clusters characterized by a high proportion of cows with metabolic problems and high culling and mortality rates had lower proportions of profit cows, somewhat irrespective of the average milk-yield per cow. Changing the perception of PD from considering it as collateral damage to a threat to the farms’ economic viability might foster change processes to reduce production diseases.

Early Milk Total and Differential Cell Counts as a Diagnostic Tool to Improve Antimicrobial Therapy Protocols

“…From a One Health perspective, there should be a balance between the risk of IMI that may impair cow health and welfare and the reduction of antimicrobial usage, leading to a reduction in AMR. One of the possible ways to achieve this balance is identifying IMI after calving due to major pathogens, and treat them, when necessary, to avoid the development of clinical or chronical mastitis that would also impair dairy herd sustainability [ 34 ].…”

Calf health veterinary services: Making them work for calves, farmers and veterinarians

“…Good calf health is critical for sustainable dairy and beef production. [1][2][3] There is scope to improve calf health in the UK. 4 There is also increasing incentive to do so, as drives to reduce carbon footprints, 5 input costs 6,7 and antibiotic use 8 all focus attention in this area, alongside improved calf values associated with the use of sexed semen and an expanding beef from dairy sector.…”

Global Dairy Sector: Trends, Prospects, and Challenges

“…Further on, an interesting and novel perspective to measure the effects of production diseases on economic sustainability in dairy farms is reported by Hoischen-Taubner et al [15]. The researchers opined that changing the perception of production diseases via reflecting it as an indemnity damage and a risk to the farms' economic viability can further change the processes involved to minimize the production diseases.…”