Estimate of the economic impact of mastitis: a case study in a Holstein dairy herd under tropical conditions

Publication date: Available online 28 April 2017 Source:Preventive Veterinary Medicine Author(s): Juliana L.B. Guimarães, Maria A.V.P. Brito, Carla C. Lange, Márcio R. Silva, João B. Ribeiro, Letícia C. Mendonça, Juliana F.M. Mendonça, Guilherme N. Souza The aim of this study was to estimate the economic impact of mastitis at the herd level and the weight (percent) of the components of this impact in a Holstein dairy herd under tropical conditions. Three estimates of the economic impact of mastitis were performed. In estimates 1 and 2 the real production and economic indices from February 2011 to January 2012 were considered. In the estimate 1, indices for mastitis classified as ideal were considered, whereas in the estimate 2, the mastitis indices used were those recorded at the farm and at Holstein Cattle Association of Minas Gerais State database (real indices). Ideal mastitis indices were bulk milk somatic cell counts less than 250,000 cells/mL, incidence of clinical mastitis less than 25 cases/100 cows/year, number of culls due to udder health problems less than 5% and the percentage of cows with somatic cell counts greater than 200,000 cells/mL less than 20%. Considering the ideal indices of mastitis, the economic impact was US$19,132.35. The three main components of the economic impact were culling cows (39.4%) and the reduction in milk production due to subclinical and clinical mastitis (32.3% and 18.2%, respectively). Estimate 2 using real mastitis in...
Source: Preventive Veterinary Medicine - Category: Veterinary Research Source Type: research