Impact of disease on individual culling risk and herd culling rate in dairy cattle

Authors

  • D. Haine Faculté de médecine vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, St-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada J2S 2M2
  • J. Carrier Association des médecins vétérinaires praticiens du Québec, G1V 1S5
  • R. Cue Department of Animal Science, McGill University H9X 3V9
  • A. Sewalem Guelph Food Research Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Ontario K1A 0C5
  • K. Wade Department of Animal Science, McGill University H9X 3V9
  • J. Arsenault Faculté de médecine vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, St-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada J2S 2M2
  • E. Bouchard Faculté de médecine vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, St-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada J2S 2M2
  • J. Dubuc Faculté de médecine vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, St-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada J2S 2M2

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.21423/aabppro20133831

Keywords:

culling rate, disease, cow survival

Abstract

A culling rate> 30% in dairy cattle is common in United States and Canada, despite general recommendations to lower cull rates in order to save on replacement costs. Also, higher cull rates are sometimes viewed as a sign of management failure, but the association between culling and disease at the cow level may not hold true at the herd level. Therefore, the objective of this study was to explore the relationship between disease events and individual-cow survival, and the relationship between herd-level disease incidence and culling rate.

Cover image of the 46th Conference Proceedings: An image of cattle standing in a field during th day. They are looking rather indignantly at the camera. Yellow background.

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Published

2013-09-19

Issue

2013

Section

Research Summaries 3

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