creators_name: March, Solveig creators_name: Brinkmann, Jan creators_name: Winckler, Christoph type: conference_item datestamp: 2006-05-09 lastmod: 2009-08-20 14:30:54 metadata_visibility: show title: Dairy health in German organic farming - an intervention study on lameness and the implementation of herd health plans ispublished: pub subjects: 7animalhealth full_text_status: public keywords: BÖL, BOEL, FKZ 03OE406, Tiergesundheitskonzept, Qualitätsmanagement, ökologische Milchviehhaltung abstract: A pilot study carried out in 2002/2003 (50 farms) revealed that production diseases such as mastitis, lameness and metabolic disorders play a considerable role in german organic dairy farming. In a follow-up project, an intervention study on lameness is currrently being carried out in 43 cubicle housed Holstein Friesian herds. Farms are monitored at 3-months intervals for two years. The average baseline lameness prevalence was 26%. Preliminary findings suggest a beneficial effect of access to pasture during summer and improvements due to intervention measures (housing, management) taken in approximately half of the farms. In a third step, herd health plans with regard to mastitis, lameness, metabolic disorders, reproductive disorders and calf diseases will be implemented on the project farms integrating farmers, veterinary practitioners and advisors. date: 2006 date_type: published refereed: never citation: March, Solveig; Brinkmann, Jan and Winckler, Christoph (2006) Dairy health in German organic farming - an intervention study on lameness and the implementation of herd health plans. Joint Organic Congress, Odense, Denmark, May 30-31, 2006. document_url: http://orgprints.org/7539/1/JOC-2006_March_et_al.pdf