Traditionally cost-benefit analysis of different farm systems and management strategies, or losses due to diseases, are based on rough estimates made by experts. The purpose of this study is to use panel data to quantify the differences experienced in real life between farmand management systems (fixed sow versus loose sows, one site versus two or multi sites, etc.) and the actual loss due to d...

The aim of this study was to develop an adapted random regression test-day model for milk urea (MU) and to study the possibility of using predictions and solutions given by the model for management purposes. Data included 607,416 MU test-day records of first-lactation cows from 632 dairy herds in the Walloon Region of Belgium. Several advanced features were used. First, to detect the herd influ...

We surveyed Belgian pig herds to describe their biosecurity status and management practices. Our written questionnaire was sent to a stratified random sample of 609 pig farms. We achieved a 71.6% response, and 421/609 farmers (69.1%) returned questionnaires suitable for analysis. We used multiple-correspondence analysis followed by a two-step clustering procedure. Herd size, herd type and occup...

BACKGROUND Overall reproductive performance of dairy herds is monitored by various indicators. Most of them do not consider all eligible animals and do not consider different management strategies at farm level. This problem can be alleviated by measuring the proportion of pregnant cows by specific intervals after their calving date or after a fixed time period, such as the voluntary waiting pe...

We review critical factors associated with reproductive performance of female breeding pigs, their lifetime performance and herd productivity in commercial herds. The factors include both sow-level and herd-level factors. High risk sow-level groups for decreasing reproductive performance of female pigs are low or high parity, increased outdoor temperature, decreased lactation feed intake, singl...

A previous economic test-and-cull decision analysis model has been strengthened and updated with current epidemiologic information. Created using Excel and PrecisionTree software, the model incorporates costs and benefits of herd management changes, diagnostic testing, and different management actions based on test results to control paratuberculosis in commercial dairy herds. This novel "JD-Tr...

Bovine tuberculosis (bTB) infection is generally correlated with individual cattle's age, sex, body condition, and with husbandry practices such as herd composition, cattle movement, herd size, production system and proximity to wildlife-including bTB maintenance hosts. We tested the correlation between those factors and the prevalence of bTB, which is endemic in Ethiopia's highland cattle, in ...