Udder health ✔
Development of a practical tool for farmers and consulting specialists to support farm-specific udder health strategies
Project description
Udder diseases, which are very common in dairy herds, impair animal welfare, are costly, and are the main reason for antibiotic use in the cowshed. The basis for improving and maintaining good herd udder health is a strategic and systematic approach. Prevention plays a crucial role, especially in organic dairy farms. All decisions regarding preventive measures in management, husbandry, and feeding, as well as for the treatment of the individual animals, should be as efficient as possible and adapted to the respective situation.
In the udder health Operational Group, eight organic farmers are working with experts from science and practice to develop a decision-making aid in the form of a workable digital tool that supports farmers, as well as their vets and consultants, in business-specific, systematic udder health management. With this practical tool, existing knowledge should be pooled and brought into implementation on the farms. It will facilitate recording and analysis of relevant data, identification of risk factors, and step-by-step derivation of recommendations for specific, effective measures for udder health. The use of pharmaceuticals can be optimized for individual operations, and the long-term monitoring of the udder health situation can be supported.
