Health-control costs in dairy farming systems in western France

Health-control costs were described in 248 dairy farms in Pays de la Loire (France) in 1995/97. Total costs, excluding mandatory programs, averaged 85 .70 euro/cow-year (61.2, 8.8, 9.2, 3.5 and 3.0 for cows, heifers, calves, g eneral hygiene, and herd-level infectious disease control, respectively) an d 1.14 euro/100 kg milk. Cow disorders associated with the highest costs (i n euro/cow-year) were: udder (26.76), metabolic (6.63), reproductive (5.27) , peripartum (4.89), locomotor (2.28) and digestive (2.21) disorders. In ad dition, 5.43, 4.15, and 3.38 euro/cow-year were spent on nutritional produc ts, herd-health and fertility programs, and parasite control, respectively. In heifers and calves, respectively, major costs were for parasite control (7.05 euro/cow-year) and digestive disorders (6.70 euro/cow-year). For all costs, large variability existed between farms. One farm out of four had l ow costs for all disorders, among which only half had low incidences for al l disorders. Variable health status occurred at all levels of costs. Propor tion of preoccurrence costs was independent of total costs. A trend in incr easing costs with dairy intensification was observed, assumed to result par tly from different health management options. Costs/kg milli were significa ntly higher in non-Holstein than in Holstein farms. In all farming systems, large variability of health-control costs suggested that there was potenti al for improvement of health management. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.