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Dairy cow mortality. A review.
1Danish Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Animal Health, Welfare and Nutrition, Tjele, Denmark. PeterT.Thomsen@agrsci.dk
The Veterinary Quarterly
|January 9, 2007
Summary
This review summarizes dairy cow mortality across intensive production systems, highlighting common causes and risk factors. Further research is recommended to standardize data collection for better analysis and comparison.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Science
- Animal Husbandry
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Dairy cow mortality is a significant concern in intensive farming systems.
- Understanding mortality patterns is crucial for animal welfare and economic sustainability.
- Existing literature presents varied data on dairy cow death rates and causes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide a comprehensive overview of dairy cow mortality in intensive production.
- To identify common causes of death and associated risk factors.
- To recommend standardized methods for future mortality recording and analysis.
Main Methods:
- Systematic literature review of 19 studies on dairy cow mortality.
- Analysis of study objectives, mortality measures, sample sizes, and designs.
- Synthesis of reported causes of death and risk factors.
Main Results:
- Identified 19 relevant studies on dairy cow mortality.
- Detailed information on study characteristics, mortality metrics, and causes of death was extracted.
- Key risk factors influencing dairy cow mortality were discussed.
Conclusions:
- Variability in study designs and data recording hinders direct comparison of mortality rates.
- Standardization of mortality recording is essential for robust meta-analyses and improved farm management.
- Further research should focus on consistent data collection to better understand and mitigate dairy cow mortality.
