Effects of disease on milk production in the dairy cow: a review

Abstract

Estimates of milk losses consequent to dystocia, stillbirth, milk fever, retained placenta, metritis, cystic ovaries, ketosis, displaced abomasum and locomotor disorders were reviewed. Papers were selected if they provided quantitative estimates of losses based on data collected after 1965, with a sample size resulting in a minimum number of disease cases of 25. Thirty-five papers fulfilled the selection criteria. Milk losses were expressed in kg/day over the period under study to allow comparison of results. Milk fever and cystic ovaries were not associated with yield losses (six studies for each disease). Less than half of the studies found losses associated with dystocia, retained placenta, and metritis, with, respectively, five studies out of 13 (0.3-2.3 kg/day across the lactation), five studies out of 13 (0.8 kg/day across the lactation to 2.5 kg/day across 100 days in milk), and two studies out of 10 (0.4 kg/day across the lactation, and 2.3 kg/day across 119 days in milk). More than half of the studies found losses associated with stillbirth, clinical ketosis, ketosis evidenced by a diagnostic test, and locomotor disorders, with, respectively, three studies out of five (0.7-1.3 kg/day across the lactation), seven studies out of 11 (2.6-5.7 kg/day short-term, and 1.2 kg/day across the lactation), five studies out of seven (1-7 kg/day on the day of diagnosis, and around 1 kg/day across 200 days in milk), and six studies out of 11 (0.3-3.3 kg/day across the lactation). All the five studies, investigating effects of displaced abomasum, found losses (3.5-10.9 kg/day across 80 days in milk, or 0.8-2.5 kg/day across the lactation).