Epsilon Archive for Student Projects

Abstract

Today there is a worldwide demand of support to dairy farms that can simplify the work of improving animal health. The aim of the Nordic project “Evolutionary management in large dairy herds” is to develop this type of support. Sweden is responsible for the development of a decision support concerning udder health. The project conforms to the principle of Evolutionary Operation (EVOP). Through systematic changes more effective solutions will be identified and finally, EVOP will be evaluated if and how the method can be applied on the dairy farm production. This master thesis is a part of the Swedish project and its aim is to evaluate how EVOP acts as a working method for improved udder health, with focus on infectious mastitis caused by udder bound bacteria.
The project was performed on Jon-jons dairy farm in Växbo, Hälsingland. The intervention was to compare the presently used teat dip on the farm, DeLaval Prima, with the teat dip ProactiveTM Plus. The aim with the intervention was to reduce the somatic cell count and improve the teat condition. The total number of cows in the study were 52. Twenty of these cows were included in a teat condition evaluation. The intervention comprised 6 weeks and ranged from the end of September until the middle of November. In the statistical analysis the last three weeks of the intervention period were compared to a reference period registered three weeks before the intervention started. The response variables that were analysed were somatic cell count and teat condition.
The results from the study showed that there was no significant difference between the two teat dips, DeLaval Prima and ProactiveTM Plus, regarding somatic cell count and teat condition. It is not possible to see any type of response or trend for this specific intervention. The farm should, in line with the working method EVOP, return to the starting positiDet finns idag ett behov av hjälpmedel hos mjölkkobesättningar, välden över, som kan förenkla besluten för djurhälsoarbetet. Genom det nordiska projektet ”Evolutionary management in large dairy herds” är tanken att ett sådant hjälpmedel ska utvecklas. Sverige ansvarar för att utveckla ett beslutsstöd gällande juverhälsa. Projektet tillämpar principerna för Evolutionary Operation (EVOP). Genom systematiska förändringar ska effektivare lösningar identifieras och slutligen ska EVOP utvärderas om och hur arbetsmetoden kan appliceras inom mjölkproduktionen. Detta examensarbete är ett delprojekt i det svenska projektet och riktar sig mot att utvärdera hur EVOP fungerar som arbetsmetod för förbättrad juverhälsa hos mjölkkor med inriktning mot infektiösa mastiter orsakade av juverbundna bakterier.
Projektet genomfördes på mjölkgården Jon-jons gård i Växbo, Hälsingland. Interventionen gick ut på att jämföra gårdens ursprungliga spendoppsmedel, DeLaval Prima mot spendoppsmedlet, ProactiveTM Plus, med mål att reducera celltalet och förbättra spenkonditionen. Totalt ingick 52 kor i studien varav 20 av dessa kor även ingick i en spenkonditionsbedömning. Interventionen omfattade 6 veckor och sträckte sig från slutet av september till mitten av november. I den statistiska analysen jämfördes interventionsperiodens tre sista veckor mot en referensperiod som registrerats tre veckor innan interventionens uppstart. De responsvariabler som analyserades var celltal och spenkondition.
Resultatet i studien visar att det inte finns någon signifikant skillnad mellan spendoppsmedlen, DeLaval Prima och ProactiveTM Plus, beträffande celltal och spenkondition. Det går inte att erhålla någon typ av respons eller trend ur den genomförda interventionen. Gården bör därför, i enlighet med EVOP, gå tillbaka till ursprungsläget och utarbeta en ny intervention som sedan testas och utvärderas. Det krävs i framtiden mer forskning för att dra en slutsats om hur EVOP ska implementeras som arbetsmetod inom animalieproduktionen.on and compose a new intervention that will be tested and evaluated. More research is required to reach a conclusion about how EVOP should be implemented as a working method in livestock production.

Today there is a worldwide demand of support to dairy farms that can simplify the work of improving animal health. The aim of the Nordic project “Evolutionary management in large dairy herds” is to develop this type of support. Sweden is responsible for the development of a decision support concerning udder health. The project conforms to the principle of Evolutionary Operation (EVOP). Through systematic changes more effective solutions will be identified and finally, EVOP will be evaluated if and how the method can be applied on the dairy farm production. This master thesis is a part of the Swedish project and its aim is to evaluate how EVOP acts as a working method for improved udder health, with focus on infectious mastitis caused by udder bound bacteria.
The project was performed on Jon-jons dairy farm in Växbo, Hälsingland. The intervention was to compare the presently used teat dip on the farm, DeLaval Prima, with the teat dip ProactiveTM Plus. The aim with the intervention was to reduce the somatic cell count and improve the teat condition. The total number of cows in the study were 52. Twenty of these cows were included in a teat condition evaluation. The intervention comprised 6 weeks and ranged from the end of September until the middle of November. In the statistical analysis the last three weeks of the intervention period were compared to a reference period registered three weeks before the intervention started. The response variables that were analysed were somatic cell count and teat condition.
The results from the study showed that there was no significant difference between the two teat dips, DeLaval Prima and ProactiveTM Plus, regarding somatic cell count and teat condition. It is not possible to see any type of response or trend for this specific intervention. The farm should, in line with the working method EVOP, return to the starting position and compose a new intervention that will be tested and evaluated. More research is required to reach a conclusion about how EVOP should be implemented as a working method in livestock production.