Quantifying Economic Losses due to Milk Fever in Dairy Farms
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Date
2010-01
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Abstract
Milk fever, a metabolic disease, affects dairy animals usually within one or two days after calving, resulting
in a huge reduction in milk production and thus becomes economically most important. This study,
conducted in five milkshed districts of Tamil Nadu, has estimated the economic losses arising from milk
fever, based on the data collected from a random sample of 557 milk fever affected bovines (516 cows and
41 she buffaloes) during 2005-08. For assessing economic losses caused by milk fever, cost of medicines,
veterinarian’s fee, cost of additional labour utilized, loss due to reduction in milk output, cost of animals
dead and culled have been considered. The prevalence of milk fever has been found 13.67 per cent in cows
and 11.99 per cent in buffaloes across the study districts. The total loss has been found as Rs 1,068 per
affected cow and Rs 665 per buffalo. Taking into account the observed prevalence of milk fever, the
population of milch cows and buffaloes and the per animal loss due to milk fever has been estimated to be
of Rs 40.62 crore in the state, which is a substantial damage to the dairy farming community. Some
suggestions for prevention and management of milk fever have been given in the study.
Description
TNV_AGERR_2010_23(11)77-81
Keywords
Veterinary Science