Health disorders and their association with production and functional traits in Holstein Friesian cows

• Main Authors: Francesca Cesarini, Martino Cassandro, Paolo Carnier, Luigi Gallo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2010-01-01
• Series: Italian Journal of Animal Science
• Subjects: Dairy cows, Health traits, Functional traits, Milk yield
• Online Access: http://www.aspajournal.it/index.php/ijas/article/view/279
• ISSN: 1594-4077; 1828-051X

<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 8.0px Verdana;">Logistic regression models were used for studying the relationships between milk yield, body condition score (BCS),<span style="font: 12.0px Helvetica;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 8.0px Verdana;">somatic cell score and some disorders of periparturient cows (mammary edema and retained placenta) with the occur-<span style="font: 12.0px Helvetica;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 8.0px Verdana;">rence of ovarian cysts, clinical mastitis and lameness. Data from milk recording (milk yield and somatic cell content) col-<span style="font: 12.0px Helvetica;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 8.0px Verdana;">lected at nearly monthly intervals (time period: 35 &plusmn; 3 d) were merged with BCS recorded on the same dates of milk<span style="font: 12.0px Helvetica;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 8.0px Verdana;">recording on periparturient heifers, lactating and dry cows, and with health disorders data (retained placenta, severe<span style="font: 12.0px Helvetica;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 8.0px Verdana;">mammary edema, ovarian cysts and clinical mastitis and lameness) collected during regular herd activities over nearly<span style="font: 12.0px Helvetica;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 8.0px Verdana;">3.5 years. Data were from one commercial herd consisting of over 200 lactating dairy cows and exhibiting an average<span style="font: 12.0px Helvetica;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 8.0px Verdana;">305-d milk yield of nearly 10,000 kg. A total of 5,315 records from 728 lactations and 429 cows were used in the analy-<span style="font: 12.0px Helvetica;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 8.0px Verdana;">ses. The time period incidence rate was 11.9%, 6.6% and 4.6% for ovarian cysts, lameness and mastitis, respectively,<span style="font: 12.0px Helvetica;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 8.0px Verdana;">and the lactational incidence rate was 44.1%, 33.4% and 28.1% for ovarian cysts, lameness and mastitis, respectively.<span style="font: 12.0px Helvetica;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 8.0px Verdana;">Occurrence of both ovarian cysts and mastitis was more common in the early lactation than afterwards, whereas lame-<span style="font: 12.0px Helvetica;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 8.0px Verdana;">ness tended to occurr erratically during lactation. The risk of occurrence of mastitis and lameness was lower in primi-<span style="font: 12.0px Helvetica;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 8.0px Verdana;">parous when compared to multiparous cows. The increase of milk yield increased the risk of occurrence of ovarian cysts<span style="font: 12.0px Helvetica;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 8.0px Verdana;">(odds ratio: 1.32, P < 0.01) and of mastitis (odds ratio: 1.12, P < 0.10), whereas no significant relationship was found<span style="font: 12.0px Helvetica;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 8.0px Verdana;">between milk yield and lameness. An increase of somatic cell score was found to be a risk factor for mastitis (odds ratio:<span style="font: 12.0px Helvetica;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 8.0px Verdana;">1.36, P<0.01) and for the occurrence of lameness (odds ratio: 1.06, P<0.05). The occurrence of relative risk of disor-<span style="font: 12.0px Helvetica;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 8.0px Verdana;">ders was not related to BCS at calving, and monthly variation of BCS was related to the onset of mastitis only. Retained<span style="font: 12.0px Helvetica;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 8.0px Verdana;">placenta did not appear to present a risk factor for the occurrence of diseases of concern, whereas the presence of severe<span style="font: 12.0px Helvetica;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 8.0px Verdana;">mammary edema at calving increased the risk of mastitis occurrence by nearly 50%. Regular recording of herd health<span style="font: 12.0px Helvetica;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 8.0px Verdana;">data seems advisable for a better understanding of the relationships between production and functional traits and the<span style="font: 12.0px Helvetica;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 8.0px Verdana;">occurrence of health disorders.<span style="font: 12.0px Helvetica;">&nbsp;</span></p><div><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"><br /></span></span></div>