UUDISED

GOOD PROJECT EXAMPLE: Development of the Herd Health Management Programme and Assessment of the Changes in Herd Health and the Economic Impact Related to the Introduction of the Programme

The problem to be solved

Estonian dairy cattle farms are mostly enterprises with intensive farming where innovative technology is used. In 2017, approximately 70% of the Estonian dairy cow population was kept in farms of 300 or more animals. Consequently, the nature of veterinary practice has changed. In addition to treating sick animals, veterinarians have to prevent and defeat diseases not at the animal level but at the herd level. In the situation of multiple options, the farmer has to make several decisions together with the veterinarian. These decisions should contribute to meeting the objective of better animal health and welfare and be economically justifiable at the same time.

Generally, farms in Estonia have not introduced systematic preventive herd health programmes to tackle all relevant spheres of activity. Earlier, the knowledge on the economic impact of the implementation of the programme on a farm was not available and it was not known whether it would involve additional costs. 

“In the future, HHPs should form an inherent part of the farm quality control system.” Hardi Tamm, a board member of NGO Dairy Cluster

Project outcomes

Herd health management programmes (HHP) involve activities aiming at maintaining the health and productivity of agricultural cattle at the highest possible level of efficiency, thereby improving the competitiveness and profitability of the farm. HHPs are complex, meaning that all areas of activity – young stock health, udder and hoof health, milk quality, reproduction, metabolism and feeding are considered simultaneously. In order to implement HHPs and assess the accompanying changes in the herd health, and the economic impact of an HHP, a two-year pilot study (2017 – 2019) was carried out. In the course of the project, suitable herd health protocols for Estonian dairy farms were developed and tested, including HACCP system mechanisms in five Estonian dairy farms of different sizes: one farm with approximately 100 dairy cows, one farm with 1,800 dairy cows and three farms with 600-800 cows.

The project confirmed the positive benefits of the application of the HHP on the health and production of animals as well as the improvement in the profitability of the farms. In the test farms, the weighted average of herd health costs for a period was EUR 22 per ton of produced milk. As a result of the implementation of the HHP, the costs fell by EUR 7-8 per ton on average. Since the implementation of the HHPs, results in the reduction of the use of drugs and improvement in the health and welfare of animals, HHPs meet the expectations of the consumers.