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The Use of Computer Records: A Tool to Increase Productivity in Dairy Herds.

ABSTRACT: The level of adoption of herd management information system veterinary automated management and production control program (VAMPP) Bovine and its impact on productivity of 912 specialized dairy systems with at least 5 years of information recorded was studied. Herds were classified as low (n = 389), medium (n = 343), or high (n = 180) adoption level on the basis of extent and consistency of record keeping for variables related to production, reproduction, and health. For each herd, within-year averages were obtained for six performance traits: age at first calving (AFC), days open (DO), daily milk yield (DMY), productive life (PL), incidence of clinical mastitis (MAST), and incidence of lameness (LAM). These variables were investigated with a generalized linear mixed model that included the fixed effects of the adoption level, follow-up year, and their interaction, adjusted by the fixed effects of herd size, agroecological zone, calendar period, breed group, and the random effects of variation between/within herds. A significant effect of the adoption level over all the variables was observed, except DMY and PL. The follow-up year was significant for all the variables except LAM. There were marked reductions for AFC and DO in the first 4 years of follow-up. AFC was higher and DO shorter in the low compared to medium and high level of adoption herds (p < 0.001). DMY showed a significant increasing trend (p < 0.001), regardless of the adoption level. There was higher MAST and LAM incidence in the higher adoption level (p < 0.05). The economic benefit was estimated through a stochastic simulation model using an approach based in partial budget analysis. For a herd with a medium level of adoption, the change in gross margin (GMMIS $USD) and marginal return rate (MRRMIS %) for the first 5 years of use of the system was estimated. Under these conditions, there was a GMMIS of $6890 and MRRMIS of 163%. Variation of ±10% in DMY and DO caused changes in the GMMIS of ±$1000 and ±$110, respectively, and in MRRMIS ±24% and ±4%, respectively. The trends suggest a positive influence of VAMPP in productive and reproductive traits during the first years of implementation, with less benefit for the low adoption levels.

SUBMITTER: Sanchez Z

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7022969 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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The Use of Computer Records: A Tool to Increase Productivity in Dairy Herds.

Sánchez Zazil Z Galina Carlos Salvador CS Vargas Bernardo B Romero Juan José JJ Estrada Sandra S

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI 20200110 1

The level of adoption of herd management information system veterinary automated management and production control program (VAMPP) Bovine and its impact on productivity of 912 specialized dairy systems with at least 5 years of information recorded was studied. Herds were classified as low (n = 389), medium (n = 343), or high (n = 180) adoption level on the basis of extent and consistency of record keeping for variables related to production, reproduction, and health. For eac ...[more]

PMID: 32284522

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Dataset Information

The Use of Computer Records: A Tool to Increase Productivity in Dairy Herds.

Publications

The Use of Computer Records: A Tool to Increase Productivity in Dairy Herds.

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