| Colorado Dairy Health and Management Study |
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Animal health is important to all dairy producers. Almost all producers would agree that good herd health does not occur by accident. Rather, it is the result of good management and thus it is the focus point of many dairy management decisions.
However, many producers with good management and high production find themselves facing animal health challenges that are difficult to solve. High rates of mastitis, lameness, involuntary culling and death loss are common in Colorado dairies, even when appropriate preventive measures and interventions appear to be in place. Some health problems are the result of complex factors that can be difficult to analyze or modify. A survey of Colorado dairies is underway at Colorado State University to evaluate some of these problems and key management features that influence them. The survey is an Integrated Livestock Management project, directed by Frank Garry, Bill Wailes and research associate Craig McConnel. The project is an extension of current work at CSU focusing on specific reasons for adult dairy cow removal. Questions within the survey focus on the influence of specific dairy characteristics that can influence cow health and production. Your participation in the survey will help make the project a success and deliver information about the Colorado dairy industry that should be useful to all producers. There have been no previous comprehensive surveys of Colorado dairy health characteristics. However, the USDA:APHIS:VS National Animal Health Monitoring System (NAHMS) Dairy 2007 survey, results of which are now being distributed, provides timely insight into current national animal health issues. The NAHMS survey quantifies numerous aspects of dairy cow health, reporting that the three most prevalent dairy cow diseases are clinical mastitis, lameness, and infertility problems. Such health problems clearly influence production and longevity, often leading to premature removal of cows. NAHMS results further indicate that 5.7% of dairy cows die, on-farm, across the country each year, representing an increase from 4.8% in the Dairy 2002 survey. Such data at the national level helps identify areas of animal health that impact dairy success. The difficulty comes from trying to put a finger on management factors that influence these problems. For instance, NAHMS data suggest that the risk for individual animal health problems rises with increased dairy size. But this does not explain why some dairies experience high rates of disease, early removal, and death, particularly since larger dairies, on average, have better compliance with many disease prevention measures and many large dairies have excellent animal health and productivity. The Colorado dairy survey is intended to look at management aspects of all Colorado dairies that influence cow wellness. The modern dairy industry faces a number of animal wellness challenges. As detailed in a previous edition of the Colorado Dairy News (Vol. 13:4, July 2007), animal welfare and productivity are increasingly important subjects in the evolving dairy industry. This survey of health management will provide an avenue for approaching dairy cow health and productivity including dairy facilities, nutrition, biosecurity, expansion, and labor management. The survey will be conducted in person, including every willing Colorado dairy producer. In the coming months, dairy producers will be contacted and asked to spare a little time for the project. Diverse input is critical, including dairies large and small and those with and without significant animal health issues so that results are useful to the entire Colorado dairy industry. Results of the study will be made available in the Colorado Dairy News, future seminar programs and other educational offerings for Colorado producers. |
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| Last Updated ( Monday, 17 December 2007 ) |