Publications by authors named "M Hoedemaker"
Knowledge about potential risk factors for animal health is crucial to achieve animal welfare. The aim of this study was to provide practical guidance for farmers to improve the health status of their youngstock by identifying and eliminating risk factors for omphalitis in neonatal calves. A cross-sectional study including 3,445 dairy calves from 567 farms located in three structurally different regions of Germany was performed from December 2016 to July 2019.
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- Infections in dairy cows significantly affect animal health and the livestock industry, with anthelmintic resistance highlighting the need for sustainable control strategies that consider farmer characteristics like attitude and personality.
- The study employed the HEXACO model of personality to analyze how farmers' traits relate to on-farm seropositivity for endoparasites, using data collected through interviews about farm management and structure.
- Results indicated that factors like pasture access, farmer conscientiousness, and attitudes towards animal health are critical for understanding parasite prevalence, underscoring the role of farmer traits in implementing effective livestock management practices.
Six hundred fifty-nine farms in three regions of Germany (North: = 240, East: = 247, and South: = 172) were included in the study, which aims at determining the association of management-related risk factors with farm-level lameness in German dairy herds. For each risk factor, a generalised linear regression model with negative binomial distribution and logit link was built. Results showed that cows housed in deep-bedded cubicles had a lower risk of being lame than cows housed in other cubicle types.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLameness in dairy cows is an expression of pain most likely originating from a claw disorder, causing impaired animal wellbeing and substantial economic losses for farmers. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of access to pasture, time spent on pasture, and season on farm level lameness prevalence. The survey was part of a cross-sectional observational study, in which farms in three regions of Germany (North, East and South) were visited by study veterinarians.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: In dairy cattle, mastitis causes high financial losses and impairs animal well-being. Genetic selection is used to breed cows with reduced mastitis susceptibility. Techniques such as milk cell flow cytometry may improve early mastitis diagnosis.
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