The Whole and the Parts—A New Perspective on Production Diseases and Economic Sustainability in Dairy Farming

Susanne Hoischen-Taubner, Jonas Habel, Verena Uhlig, Eva-Marie Schwabenbauer, Theresa Rumphorst, Lara Ebert, Detlev Möller and Albert Sundrum
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Susanne Hoischen-Taubner: Department of Animal Nutrition and Animal Health, University of Kassel, Nordbahnhofstraße 1a, 37213 Witzenhausen, Germany
Jonas Habel: Department of Animal Nutrition and Animal Health, University of Kassel, Nordbahnhofstraße 1a, 37213 Witzenhausen, Germany
Verena Uhlig: Department of Farm Management, University of Kassel, Steinstraße 19, 37213 Witzenhausen, Germany
Eva-Marie Schwabenbauer: Department of Animal Nutrition and Animal Health, University of Kassel, Nordbahnhofstraße 1a, 37213 Witzenhausen, Germany
Theresa Rumphorst: Department of Animal Nutrition and Animal Health, University of Kassel, Nordbahnhofstraße 1a, 37213 Witzenhausen, Germany
Lara Ebert: Department of Animal Nutrition and Animal Health, University of Kassel, Nordbahnhofstraße 1a, 37213 Witzenhausen, Germany
Detlev Möller: Department of Farm Management, University of Kassel, Steinstraße 19, 37213 Witzenhausen, Germany
Albert Sundrum: Department of Animal Nutrition and Animal Health, University of Kassel, Nordbahnhofstraße 1a, 37213 Witzenhausen, Germany

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 16, 1-20

Abstract: The levels of production diseases (PD) and the cow replacement rate are high in dairy farming. They indicate excessive production demands on the cow and a poor state of animal welfare. This is the subject of increasing public debate. The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of production diseases on the economic sustainability of dairy farms. The contributions of individual culled cows to the farm’s economic performance were calculated, based on milk recording and accounting data from 32 farms in Germany. Cows were identified as ‘profit cows’ when they reached their individual ‘break-even point’. Data from milk recordings (yield and indicators for PD) were used to cluster farms by means of a principal component and a cluster analysis. The analysis revealed five clusters of farms. The average proportion of profit cows was 57.5%, 55.6%, 44.1%, 29.4% and 19.5%. Clusters characterized by a high proportion of cows with metabolic problems and high culling and mortality rates had lower proportions of profit cows, somewhat irrespective of the average milk-yield per cow. Changing the perception of PD from considering it as collateral damage to a threat to the farms’ economic viability might foster change processes to reduce production diseases.

Keywords: profit cows; economic sustainability; knowledge transfer; production disease; production disease economics (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:16:p:9044-:d:613266

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