FINANCIAL ASSESSMENT OF RESULTS OF INTERVENTION TO CORRECT A HOUSING-SYSTEM PROBLEM ON A DAIRY FARM

Objective-To monitor effects that improvements in housing facilities w ould have on herd performance. Financial measures were calculated to e stimate whether improvements resulted in an improved financial status for the farm. Design-Prospective, observational study. Animals-160-cow dairy herd. Procedure-Farm visits were conducted from 1990 to 1994. A reas for improvement were identified, and changes were recommended. He rd production and farm financial records were analyzed before, during, and after adoption of recommended changes. Results-After improving fa cilities, somatic cell count was somewhat constant, but tended to decr ease during the last 16 months of the study. During the last 8 months of the study, incidence for clinical cases of mastitis decreased to 3. 3% per month. Reproductive variables improved dramatically after imple menting use of a bull for breeding. Subjective evaluation of cow comfo rt and lameness indicated apparent improvements in each area. However, milk production remained fairly constant from January 1991 through De cember 1994. Review of the farm's financial status revealed that costs of production increased from 1990 through 1993, but decreased in 1994 . Slow financial response to improvements were attributed to a large d ecrease in milk price in 1991 and a poor crop harvest in 1993. Thus, a lthough progress was made toward financial stability, approximately 55 % of the farm's assets (determined on a market-basis value) were repre sented by debt. Clinical Implications-It is important to monitor finan cial status when managing complex health problems that involve several aspects of a farm's operation.