Risk assessments are important tools to identify deficits in biosecurity management practices. A major strength of some existing tools is that they facilitate cross-country comparisons. However, a weakness is their failure to account for unique intra-national farming enterprise structures such as, for example, pasture-based dairying.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSeasonal-calving pasture-based systems characterize Irish dairy production. During the dry period, cows are housed and offered predominantly grass silage, providing unique transition cow management opportunities. This study aimed to describe transition period disease incidence and management strategies reported by farmers, and to evaluate their associations with herd size and calving pattern to inform and guide research activities and national advisory.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBovine respiratory disease (BRD) is a leading cause of mortality and compromised welfare in bovines. It is a polymicrobial syndrome resulting from a complex interplay of viral and bacterial pathogens with environmental factors. Despite the availability of vaccines, incidence and severity in young calves remains unabated.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFis a globally significant pathogen of cattle associated with a wide range of clinical syndromes, including respiratory disease, mastitis, arthritis, otitis, and reproductive failure. Since its detection in Ireland in 1994, has become a significant contributor to morbidity and mortality in Irish cattle. This study aimed to investigate herd-level risk factors associated with seropositivity in replacement dairy heifers, using data from 105 Irish dairy herds.
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