Biosecurity and animal disease management in organic and conventional Swedish dairy herds: a questionnaire study
Abstract Background Good animal health is a notion that is germane to organic dairy production, and it is expected that such herds would pay significant attention on the health of their animals. However, it is not known if the applied animal disease management is actually more adequate in organic da...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2018-04-01
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| Series: | Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13028-018-0376-6 |
| _version_ | 1819076106912792576 |
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| author | Ulf Emanuelson Karin Sjöström Nils Fall |
| author_facet | Ulf Emanuelson Karin Sjöström Nils Fall |
| author_sort | Ulf Emanuelson |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Good animal health is a notion that is germane to organic dairy production, and it is expected that such herds would pay significant attention on the health of their animals. However, it is not known if the applied animal disease management is actually more adequate in organic dairy cattle herds than in conventional dairy herds. A questionnaire study on biosecurity and animal disease management activities was therefore conducted among Swedish farmers with organic and conventional dairy cattle herds. Results A total of 192 useable questionnaires were returned; response rates of 30.3 and 20.2% for organic and conventional farmers, respectively. Herd characteristics of the two herd types were very similar, except that pipeline/tie-stall systems were less common in organic farms and that organic farmers had a higher education level than their conventional counterparts. Also, very few systematic differences in general or specific disease management activities were observed between the two types of farms. The main exceptions being how milk from cows during antibiotic treatment was used, views on policy actions in relation to antibiotic use, and attitudes towards calling for veterinary support. Using milk from cows during antibiotic treatment was more common in conventional herds, although it was mainly given to bull calves. Farmers of organic herds were more positive to policy actions to reduce the use and need for antibiotics, and they reported waiting longer before contacting a veterinarian for calves with diarrhoea and cows with subclinical mastitis. Conclusions The stated biosecurity and animal disease management was relatively equal in Swedish organic and conventional dairy herds. Our results thus indicate that animal health is as important in conventionally managed dairy herds in Sweden as in organically managed herds. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-21T18:36:02Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ba35cccc925b45eaba54b728267488c3 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1751-0147 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-21T18:36:02Z |
| publishDate | 2018-04-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica |
| spelling | doaj.art-ba35cccc925b45eaba54b728267488c32022-12-21T18:54:09ZengBMCActa Veterinaria Scandinavica1751-01472018-04-016011710.1186/s13028-018-0376-6Biosecurity and animal disease management in organic and conventional Swedish dairy herds: a questionnaire studyUlf Emanuelson0Karin Sjöström1Nils Fall2Department of Clinical Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural SciencesDepartment of Clinical Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural SciencesDepartment of Clinical Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural SciencesAbstract Background Good animal health is a notion that is germane to organic dairy production, and it is expected that such herds would pay significant attention on the health of their animals. However, it is not known if the applied animal disease management is actually more adequate in organic dairy cattle herds than in conventional dairy herds. A questionnaire study on biosecurity and animal disease management activities was therefore conducted among Swedish farmers with organic and conventional dairy cattle herds. Results A total of 192 useable questionnaires were returned; response rates of 30.3 and 20.2% for organic and conventional farmers, respectively. Herd characteristics of the two herd types were very similar, except that pipeline/tie-stall systems were less common in organic farms and that organic farmers had a higher education level than their conventional counterparts. Also, very few systematic differences in general or specific disease management activities were observed between the two types of farms. The main exceptions being how milk from cows during antibiotic treatment was used, views on policy actions in relation to antibiotic use, and attitudes towards calling for veterinary support. Using milk from cows during antibiotic treatment was more common in conventional herds, although it was mainly given to bull calves. Farmers of organic herds were more positive to policy actions to reduce the use and need for antibiotics, and they reported waiting longer before contacting a veterinarian for calves with diarrhoea and cows with subclinical mastitis. Conclusions The stated biosecurity and animal disease management was relatively equal in Swedish organic and conventional dairy herds. Our results thus indicate that animal health is as important in conventionally managed dairy herds in Sweden as in organically managed herds.http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13028-018-0376-6Animal disease managementAnimal healthConventionalDairy herdsOrganicQuestionnaire study |
| spellingShingle | Ulf Emanuelson Karin Sjöström Nils Fall Biosecurity and animal disease management in organic and conventional Swedish dairy herds: a questionnaire study Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica Animal disease management Animal health Conventional Dairy herds Organic Questionnaire study |
| title | Biosecurity and animal disease management in organic and conventional Swedish dairy herds: a questionnaire study |
| title_full | Biosecurity and animal disease management in organic and conventional Swedish dairy herds: a questionnaire study |
| title_fullStr | Biosecurity and animal disease management in organic and conventional Swedish dairy herds: a questionnaire study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Biosecurity and animal disease management in organic and conventional Swedish dairy herds: a questionnaire study |
| title_short | Biosecurity and animal disease management in organic and conventional Swedish dairy herds: a questionnaire study |
| title_sort | biosecurity and animal disease management in organic and conventional swedish dairy herds a questionnaire study |
| topic | Animal disease management Animal health Conventional Dairy herds Organic Questionnaire study |
| url | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13028-018-0376-6 |
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