Longevity and the association with cattle health in Dutch dairy farms

Abstract

Longevity of a herd is defined as the average age of all cattle over two years old at the moment of death (either natural, by euthanasia or by slaughter), and is increasing since 2018. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between longevity and cattle health indicators in Dutch dairy herds. Anonymized census data were available for 16,200 Dutch dairy herds (∼98 % of the dairy herds) between 2016 and 2020. All herds were categorized into one of six longevity groups: herds with a high longevity (>seven years old), increasing longevity (mean increase of one year and two months between 2017 and 2020), median longevity (∼five years and eight months, without major fluctuations in longevity), decreasing longevity (mean decrease eight months), low longevity (<four years and ten months) and a varying longevity of ∼five years and eight months, with fluctuation in longevity throughout the study period. Data were aggregated to herd and quarter of the year level. Cattle health parameters were analysed with multivariable population-averaged models with health indicators as dependent variables, and longevity and other management and herd level factors as explanatory variables. Belonging to the group of herds with a high longevity was associated with lower calf- and cow mortality, a higher percentage of cows with a high somatic cell count (HSCC), fewer inseminations per pregnancy for heifers and more inseminations for cows, a higher antibiotic use in adult dairy cows and a lower antibiotic use in calves compared to the average Dutch dairy herd. Further analysis showed that the higher percentage of cows with a HSCC could be explained by the higher share of older cows. Herds with a low longevity had a higher calf- and cow mortality, a lower percentage of cows with a HSCC, more inseminations for heifers and fewer for cows, lower antibiotic use in cows and higher antibiotic use in calves compared to the average Dutch dairy herd. To conclude, there were differences in cattle health between groups of herds with a different longevity.