Risk factors of pathologies in Brown Swiss cows at a large industrial complex
The large-scale development of animal husbandry has increased milk production, making the timely detection of cow health issues on large farms crucial to maintaining herd health and minimizing economic losses. This study analyzed data from veterinary, zootechnical, and breeding records of 94 Brown S...
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| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Dnipro State Agrarian and Economic University
2025-02-01
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| Series: | Theoretical and Applied Veterinary Medicine |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://bulletin-biosafety.com/index.php/journal/article/view/391 |
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| Summary: | The large-scale development of animal husbandry has increased milk production, making the timely detection of cow health issues on large farms crucial to maintaining herd health and minimizing economic losses. This study analyzed data from veterinary, zootechnical, and breeding records of 94 Brown Swiss cows (first to fourth lactation) at the Ekaterinoslavsky dairy complex, Dnipropetrovsk region, from 2020 to 2024. Findings show that all cows in a large-group, industrial setting experienced at least one pathology during lactation. Mastitis was the most common condition, affecting 29.6% of first-lactation heifers and 35.3% of fourth-lactation cows. Reproductive organ diseases ranked second, with placental retention rates of 7.5% in first-lactation heifers, 35.4% in second-lactation cows, and 1.5–17.6% in third- and fourth-lactation cows. Metritis was unrelated to placental retention and absent in second-lactation cows, with no observed abortions in this group. However, abortions were recorded in 14.8%, 17.6%, and 10.5% of cows in the first, third, and fourth lactations, respectively. Lameness was prevalent among high-yielding cows, with rates of 11.8% in first, third, and fourth lactations but increasing to 22.6% in second lactation. Timely detection of pathologies allowed for relatively good reproductive performance: the service period averaged 136.1–155.8 days, the intercalving period 428.2–447.8 days, and the insemination index 2.00–2.32. Milk production was high, with yields ranging from 7714.3 kg in first-lactation heifers to 9023.9 kg in third-lactation cows. Milk fat production for completed lactations ranged from 510.4 kg to 762.9 kg, underscoring the productive potential of Brown Swiss cows. |
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| ISSN: | 2663-1156 2663-1164 |