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Milk concentrates are used in the manufacturing of dairy products such as yogurt and cheese or are processed into milk powder. Processes for the nonthermal separation of water and valuable milk ingredients are becoming increasingly widespread at farm level. The technical barriers to using farm-manufactured milk concentrate in dairies are minimal, hence the suspicion that the practice of on-farm raw milk concentration is still fairly uncommon for economic reasons. This study, therefore, set out to investigate farmers’ potential willingness to adopt a raw milk concentration plant. The empirical analysis was based on discrete choice experiments with 75 German dairy farmers to identify preferences and the possible adoption of on-farm raw milk concentration. The results showed that, in particular, farmers who deemed the current milk price to be insufficient viewed on-farm concentration using membrane technology as an option for diversifying their milk sales. We found no indication that adoption would be impeded by a lack of trustworthy information on milk processing technologies or capital.
In a cross-sectional study, impact of management in dairy farms on calf mortality rates and prevalence of rotavirus and Cryptosporidium parvum in feces of calves was investigated. Sixty-two commercial dairy herds in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany, were stratified selected in 2019. We performed in-person interviews and fecal specimens in samples of all-female calves of age 7 up to 21 days. Management data were documented on farm level. A Multiscreen Ag-ELISA was performed to determine rotavirus and Cryptosporidium parvum. Associations between two calf mortality rates, detection of C. parvum and rotavirus, and predictors were examined with GLM models. In farms with routine vaccination against respiratory diseases, 31-days mortality rate was 4.2% +/-1.26 compared to 7.6% +/-0.97 (p = 0.040) on non-vaccinating farms. Six-months mortality was lower in farms that continued feeding milk to calves during periods of diarrhea compared to farms that did not (6.9% +/-0.8 vs. 12.4% +/-2.3). In case of a routine shifting of calves from the calving box into calf boxes less C. parvum was detected compared to an individual moving of calves (33.3% +/-2.6 vs. 19.6% +/-5.3; p = 0.024). Our model confirms a positive association between occurrence of aqueous feces and frequency of detection of C. parvum (45.4% +/-23.6 vs. 21.4% +/-18.7; p < 0.001). Frequency of detection of rotavirus was lower in farms that reported a defined amount of applicated colostrum per calf than in farms that presented a range of colostrum instead of a defined amount. This study indicates the potential for mitigation of risk factors for mortality in calves.
The control of clinical mastitis on dairy farms is an essential part of animal health management. Knowledge of the causative microorganisms, the cure rates achievable in the field and essential associated factors are crucial for proper control. The objectives of the present study were to characterize clinical mastitis cases in Germany and to analyze factors influencing cure rates and the recurrence rate. Milk samples of every clinical mastitis case occurring on 12 participating farms were examined cytomicrobiologically. Post-treatment quarter samples were taken after 14 and 21 days. Treatments were performed according to existing farm protocols. Of 2883 clinical mastitis cases, the most prevalent pathogens were Streptococcus (S.) uberis (20.2%) and coliforms (11.6%). In 35% of the milk samples, no bacteriological growth was detected. The overall bacteriological cure rate was 73.3%, while the cytological cure rate was 22.3%, the full cure rate 21.4% and the recurrence rate 18.8%. Regarding the pathogen distribution of severe mastitis, coliform bacteria were detected in 30.5% of the cases, whereas S. uberis was detected in 26.5% thereof. The results show that severe mastitis is caused almost as frequently by Gram-positive as by Gram-negative microorganisms. The low cytological cure rates show that the therapy needs to be further developed with regard to calming the inflammation. The obtained data can be very helpful in assessing internal mastitis scenarios and the effect of measures and therapies.