Factors associated with intersucking in Swiss dairy heifers

Intersucking is a problem that may lead to udder damage, mastitis, milk los s, and culling of breeding animals. To analyse the risk factors for intersu cking in dairy heifers in Switzerland, we asked 130 randomly selected dairy farmers about a broad spectrum of environmental factors that might be asso ciated with intersucking (such as housing conditions, management, and the f eeding of calves and heifers). In total, 2768 heifers (Swiss Brown Cattle, Simmental and Holstein Friesian) were included of which 303 had ever perfor med intersucking. Data at the farm level were analysed using path analysis (linear and logistic regression). Two outcome variables were considered: th e occurrence of intersucking on the farm and the proportion of intersucking heifers above the cut-off of 7.2%. Farms where calves had no access to bar nyard or pasture, where calves were reared in pens in enclosed buildings, w here heifers after weaning were not restrained while feeding, where heifers after weaning received <0.5 kg concentrate per day, and where heifers afte r weaning were fed greater than or equal to 40% maize silage (dry-matter ra tio) were most likely to have intersucking heifers. (C) 2000 Elsevier Scien ce B.V. All rights reserved.