University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU) - Research portal
Gewählte Master / Diploma Thesis:
Stefan Benedikt Huber
(2021):
Beziehungen von Haltungs- und Managementfaktoren mit der Eutergesundheit und ausgewählten Stoffwechselparametern von Milchkühen.
Master / Diploma Thesis - Institut für Nutztierwissenschaften (NUWI),
BOKU-Universität für Bodenkultur,
pp 100.
UB BOKU
obvsg
- Abstract:
- In this paper, the associations of rearing and management factors with udder health and selected metabolic parameters of dairy cows at herd level were investigated. On the basis of data from the "Efficient Cow" project, the husbandry and management measures as well as the animal health of 167 dairy farms with around 5,000 dairy cows of the Simmental, Brown Swiss and Holstein Friesian breeds in Austria were described. Subsequently, characteristics of udder health and metabolic situation were checked for associations with possible influencing factors. With regard to the median Somatic Cell Score (SCS) and the proportion of animals with > 200,000 cells/ml milk, organic farms, farms with automatic removal of the milking clusters and holdings whose dry cows did not have access to an outdoor run had poorer udder health. For the median SCS, the breeds Brown Swiss and Holstein Friesian were also associated with poorer udder health compared to Simmental breed. Farms that kept non-lactating cows together with lactating dairy cows had a higher proportion of animals with a fat-protein ratio (FPR) > 1.5 than farms with separate non-lactating cow groups or when the non-lactating cows were kept together with heifers. Milking vacuum according to the recommendations was also associated with a higher proportion of animals with FPR > 1.5. Compared to farms feeding mixed rations containing forage and and concentrates, farms that fed only grass products had a lower risk of having animals with a FPR < 1.0, while this risk was increased for farms feeding grass and corn silage. The results obtained provide information for advice and may contribute to improving animal health on Austrian dairy farms.
- Beurteilende(r): Winckler Christoph