Farm-specific failure costs of production disorders in European organic dairy herds
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Author
van Soest, F.J.S.
Mourits, M.C.M.
Blanco-Penedo, I.
Duval, J.
Fall, N.
Krieger, M.
Sjöstrom, K.
Hogeveen, H.
Publication date
2019-04-04ISSN
0167-5877
Abstract
On-farm decision support in animal health management requires a tailor-made failure costs (FCs) assessment of
production disorders for the individual farm. In our study we defined a generic framework to estimate the FC of
production disorders in dairy cows. We converted the framework to a practical tool in which the farm-specific FC
of mastitis, ketosis, lameness and metritis were estimated for 162 organic dairy farms in four European countries.
Along with the structure of the framework, the FC estimation required three distinct types of model input:
performance input (related to herd performance parameters), consequential input (related to the consequences
of the disorders) and economic input (related to price levels). Input was derived from official herd recordings
(e.g. test-day records and animal health recordings) and farmers’ responses (e.g. questionnaire replies). The
average FC of mastitis, ketosis, lameness and metritis amounted to € 96, € 21, € 43 and € 10 per cow per year,
respectively. The variation in FC outcomes was high among farmers and countries. Overall ranking of the disorders
based on absolute values was the same for all countries, with mastitis being the costliest disorder followed
in order by lameness, ketosis, and metritis. Farm specific estimates can be used to rank production related
disorders in terms of their associated failure costs and thus provide valuable insights for herd health management.
The practical calculation tool developed in this study should be considered by farmers or herd health
advisors to support their animal health practices or advice.
Document Type
Article
Document version
Accepted version
Language
English
Subject (CDU)
636 - Animal husbandry and breeding in general. Livestock rearing. Breeding of domestic animals
Pages
48
Publisher
Elsevier
Is part of
Preventive Veterinary Medicine
Citation
van Soest, F.J.S., M.C.M. Mourits, I. Blanco-Penedo, J. Duval, N. Fall, M. Krieger, K. Sjöstrom, and H. Hogeveen. 2019. "Farm-Specific Failure Costs Of Production Disorders In European Organic Dairy Herds". Preventive Veterinary Medicine 168: 19-29. Elsevier BV. doi:10.1016/j.prevetmed.2019.03.029.
Grant agreement number
EC/FP7/311824/EU/Impact matrix analysis and cost-benefit calculations to improve management practices regarding health status in organic dairy farming/IMPRO
Program
Benestar Animal
This item appears in the following Collection(s)
- ARTICLES CIENTÍFICS [2831]
Except where otherwise noted, this item's license is described as http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/