Wechselwirkungen zwischen Systemvariablen und Produktionskrankheiten auf ökologischen Milchviehbetrieben

Summary

Production diseases (PDs) emerge from complex interactions between a multitude of variables. In order to prevent and control PDs, measures need to be taken that are likely to be effective in the farm context. In this study, an impact analysis was performed on 60 organic dairy farms in Germany to assess the relationships between 13 system variables and to determine factors with a large impact on PDs. Direct
impacts were estimated during a round-table discussion between farmer, veterinarian and advisor using an impact matrix. Indirect impacts were computed and evaluated by
graph analysis. Across farms, feeding, hygiene, and treatment had the highest direct impact on PDs, whereas knowledge and skills, herd health monitoring, and dry cow
management were most influential considering indirect impacts. Despite these general tendencies, there was great variation between farms regarding their most influential
variables. By enabling system understanding and identifying farm areas where improvement measures are most likely to have an effect, the presented approach is expected to considerably support decision-making with respect to animal health management.