The economic effect of cow-based reproductive management programs with a systematic use of reproductive hormones.

Hormone-based reproductive management programs can be beneficial to improve dairy cow's reproductive performance. This study aimed to compare the economic impact of reproductive management programs using systematic hormonal treatments to individual cows with a specific DIM range, with a reproductive management program using cow-specific hormonal treatment based on a veterinary diagnosis of ovarian dysfunction during a fertility check. An existing individual cow-based, dynamic, and stochastic bio-economic simulation model, mimicking the production dynamics of a 200 cow-herd in daily time steps, was extended with ovarian dysfunction and fertility inputs.

A new approach and insights on modelling the impact of production diseases on dairy cow welfare.

Animal welfare is becoming an important consideration in animal health-related decision-making. Integrating considerations of animal welfare into the decision-making process of farmers involves recognising the significance of health disorder impacts in relation to animal welfare. Yet little research quantifies the impact, making it difficult to include animal welfare in the animal health decision-making process.

The economics of sensor-based management of dairy cow suboptimal mobility.

Suboptimal mobility (SOM) is a costly health condition in dairy production. Current SOM management is based on visual SOM detection by farm staff. This often leads to cows with severe SOM being detected and promptly treated, whereas the detection and subsequent treatment of cows with mild SOM is delayed or nonexistent resulting in prolonged cases of mild SOM being treated only at half-year routine hoof trimming.

Simulating the mechanics behind sub-optimal mobility and the associated economic losses in dairy production.

Hoof disorders and sub-optimal mobility (SOM) are economically important health issues in dairy farming. Although the dynamics of hoof disorders have an important effect on cow mobility, they have not been considered in previous simulation models that estimate the economic loss of SOM. Furthermore, these models do not consider the varying severities of SOM.