Lameness in Dairy Cows - Statistics
Lameness in dairy cows could be costing Southland dairy farmers a staggering $1,264.00/cow and their Canterbury counterparts $841.00 per cow.
As part of a trial looking at the impact of adding fiber to the diet on the incidence of lameness, 342 farms in Canterbury, North Otago and Southland were sent questionnaires on the disorder.
Nutritionist Wybe Kuperus, farm consultant and veterinarian Helwi Tacoma, Fred Hoekstra of Veehof Dairy Services, and research assistant Marius-Hans Troost of Lincoln University, are involved in the study, which is funded by Dairy In Sight.
While the fiber and lameness in dairy cows trial is continuing, results of the survey were analyzed by Troost & Kuperus. Based on 108 responses, estimates were made of the number of lameness in dairy cows in each region and the impact lameness had on milk solids production. increased labor requirements, in-calf rates. increased culls, and cost of treatment. For an average Southland farm of 461 cows (based on Live- stock Improvement figures for 2002-2003) with 10% of the herd lame at some time during the season, the impact will be a loss of $58,272.00 in income.
Lameness in Dairy Cows - How much are income are you losing
In Canterbury the average farm will lose $45,408.00 income, based on 10% lameness in dairy cows and an average herd size of 544 cows. For larger farms with higher rates of lameness in dairy cows, the loss of income can be well over the $100,000.00 mark.
Mr Kuperus says putting a dollar value on the true cost of lameness will be a sobering experience for dairy farmers, and highlights the importance of dealing with the disorder. It can put the cost of repairing tracks into perspective and be a motivator for being patient when bringing cows in for milking and pushing them through the yard.
Southland was estimated to have 26,222 lameness in dairy cows at some time during the 2002-2003 season, based on farmers' returns and Livestock Improve-ment with lameness in dairy cows census data indicating the average Southland herd size is 461, with 632 herds in the region. The total per cow costs were calculated from the information supplied by farmers through the survey. Broken into component costs, lameness in dairy cows is estimated to cost a Southland farmer $832.00 in milk production losses, $26.34 in extra labour, $319.75 in lost fertility due to poorer in-calf rates, $73.45 in culled cows, and $12.40 treatment costs.
Reduced milk production is based on the reported average drop in MS production of 225kg MS/cow at $3.70/kg MS. Additional labour cost is based on an extra 1.8 hours spent dealing with lameness in dairy cows, at $15.00 per hour. Reduced fertility is based on a 64% drop in in-calf rates due to lameness in dairy cows, multiplied by $500.00 per cow (the difference in value of an in-calf cow and a cull cow). Lame cows are 14.69% more likely to be culled, costing farmers an average of $73.45.
Lameness in Dairy Cows - Canterbury Survey Results
Canterbury: Based on survey returns. a lame cow in Canterbury is estimated to cost $507.00 in reduced MS. with 137kg less MS/cow at $3.70/kg MS. Farmers estimated extra labour at 1.6 hours/cow, bringing added labor cost to $23.33 per cow if the wage is set at $15.00 per hour. Canterbury farmers believed their in-calf rate reduction was less than their Southland counterparts, with survey results indicating lame cow's reduces the in-calf rate by 43%. This equates to a cost of $212.80 per cow.
Canterbury are slightly more likely to be culled because of lameness in dairy cows, costing farmers $85.09 per cow. Treatment costs are the same at $12.40 per cow, giving a total of $840.90 per cow.
Wybe Kuperus, former Dexcel nutritionist, has taken up a new position with Vitec Nutrition as manager of the sales team. He will see out 2 Dexcel projects he has been involved in; the South Island pasture project, measuring pasture production and quality compo nents. and the lameness trial looking at the inclusion of fiber in the diet of a Canterbury dairy herd. He joined Dexcel in 2001.Thank you for reading this article.
Fred Hoekstra
Lameness in Dairy Cows and Dietary Fibre - Study Findings Part Two
