Effects of some diseases observed at postpartum period of cows in dairy farms: Economic perspective

Abstract

In this study, financial losses due to several endemic diseases at the postpartum period of dairy cows were calculated, using the incidence rates and the financial losses from each clinical case of the endemic diseases reported in the literature. The median values of the incidence rates reported in the literature for retained placenta, clinical hypocalcemia, subclinical hypocalcemia, clinical metritis, clinical mastitis, clinical ketosis, subclinical ketosis, lameness and displaced abomasum were 8.6, 3.9, 33, 13.3, 7, 2.5, 19.8, 4.3 and 1.8% respectively. The average losses per case arising from retained placenta, clinical hypocalcemia, clinical metritis, clinical mastitis, clinical ketosis, lameness and displaced abomasum were calculated to be $257, $279, $278, $212, $109, $223 and $340 respectively. Using the above stated findings, the financial losses for each average cow arising from retained placenta, clinical hypocalcemia, clinical metritis, clinical mastitis, clinical ketosis, lameness, displaced abomasum and the total of 7 diseases were estimated to be $22, $11, $37, $15, $3, $9, $6 and $103 respectively.