Animal board invited review: Dairy cow lameness expenditures, losses and total cost

Autor: K. Dolecheck, J. Bewley
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2018
Předmět:
Zdroj: Animal, Vol 12, Iss 7, Pp 1462-1474 (2018)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 1751-7311
17517311
DOI: 10.1017/S1751731118000575
Popis: Lameness is one of the most costly dairy cow diseases, yet adoption of lameness prevention strategies remains low. Low lameness prevention adoption might be attributable to a lack of understanding regarding total lameness costs. In this review, we evaluated the contribution of different expenditures and losses to total lameness costs. Evaluated expenditures included labor for treatment, therapeutic supplies, lameness detection and lameness control and prevention. Evaluated losses included non-saleable milk, reduced milk production, reduced reproductive performance, increased animal death, increased animal culling, disease interrelationships, lameness recurrence and reduced animal welfare. The previous literature on total lameness cost estimates was also summarized. The reviewed studies indicated that previous estimates of total lameness costs are variable and inconsistent in the expenditures and losses they include. Many of the identified expenditure and loss categories require further research to accurately include in total lameness cost estimates. Future research should focus on identifying costs associated with specific lameness conditions, differing lameness severity levels, and differing stages of lactation at onset of lameness to provide better total lameness cost estimates that can be useful for decision making at both the herd and individual cow level.
Databáze: Directory of Open Access Journals