Authors: J Eric Hillerton, J Dearing, J Poelarends, O Sampimon, F Neijenhuis, C Fossing
A study on the impact on cow and herd health when changing from conventional, usually parlour, to automated milking (AM) is underway in Denmark, the Netherlands and the UK. Farms have been recruited to allow 15 to be studied in each country, approximately 1000 cows per country. The study is examining general aspects of herd health including milk quality, veterinary interventions, and veterinary costs. Specifically, cow studies are being made on individual cow milk cell count, mastitis incidence and treatments, teat condition, lameness, body conditions and reproductive performance. The aim is to gather data for 6-12 months pre-installation and then for 12 months after conversion to AM.
This brief report contains very preliminary information limited to those farms where data collection has been completed and data validated. It is being used to indicate areas and issues that may warrant more detailed investigation when all of the data sets are complete. This is essential as an extremely large database is being constructed. This project will only be able to examine the obvious key indicators of improved or impaired health. The whole database will be available as a research resource.
The preliminary indications are that body condition is not affected overall in the transition to AM, and that in all three countries farm management controls these well. Lameness, assessed as locomotion score, increased slightly in the Netherlands and the UK. No concerns have been raised but this will be investigated further including examination of changing risk factors including comparison of zerograzed and part-grazed systems.
Early data suggest a large variation between farms, but that overall, fertility is not affected. Breeding success may be more difficult or lactations may be being extended with AM as the time to conception and the calving interval may be lengthening. These are not primary health issues that aaffecfg the well-being of the cows per se.
It is clear in the Netherlands and the UK that bulk milk cell count increases, at least in the short term, on installation of AM. However, the mastitis and teat health studies so far show no indications of a change in the incidence of infection. Substantial further investigation of this issue will be required to determine the involvement of infection and the extent of physiological variation in more frequent and/or irregular milking frequency.
Overall, there are few indications of general health problems on conversion to AM. Individual farms often have their own unique problem(s). These appear to be related to management, expectations and facilities rather than the milking system.
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© Animal Sciences Group -
Wageningen UR. Last update:
20-02-2008 10:03. |
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