Prevalence of Bovine Mastitis and Its Effect on Farm Economic Return in Dairy Farms in Holeta

Abstract

A cross-sectional study was conducted from November 2014 to March 2015 to determine the prevalence, associated risk factors, and effect of bovine mastitis on economic return in dairy farms in Holeta, Ethiopia. It was carried out on 384 dairy cows based on a data collection questionnaire survey, clinical examination, and California Mastitis Test. The overall prevalence of mastitis was 65.1% (n=250); where 25.8% (n=99) and 39.3% (n=151) was clinical and subclinical cases, respectively. The prevalence among successive stages of lactation was 65.6%, 60.3%, and 68.9% in early, mid, and late lactation respectively and it was statistically significant (P<0.05). Mastitis prevalence in first, second, third, fourth, and more than fourth parities was 68.5%, 61.5%, 58.7%, and 71.5%, respectively. The prevalence of mastitis was 78.3%, 60.3% and 68.9% in cows of age greater than 8, 5-8 and less than 5 years respectively. Retrospective data related to treatment costs, discarded milk during the course of treatment, and culled cows due to chronic mastitis in Holeta from 2013 to 2014 was analyzed to estimate the annual economic loss due to mastitis in four dairy farms. The study estimated the annual economic loss of bovine mastitis from 10,044.18 - 15,280.28 birr. Out of this, the total economic loss per cow to treat mastitis was 63.29-139.00 birr and the cost due to discarded milk during the course of treatment was 128.00-535.95 birr per head of a cow. The economic loss due to culled cow and replacement was 9,500-14,666 birr. This study concluded that mastitis is a major health problem of dairy cows in Holeta which undoubtedly affect farm economic return of dairy farms and hence warrants serious attention.