Evaluation of factors associated with increased dairy cow mortality on United States dairy operations

Dairy cow mortality is an increasingly severe problem for the US dairy industry. The objective of this study was to examine a variety of herd management practices and herd characteristics to identify factors associated with increased cow mortality in US dairy herds. The National Animal Health Monitoring System's Dairy 2002 study surveyed dairy operations in 21 major dairy states. The complete data set included results from 953 dairy farms with a minimum of 30 dairy cows per farm. Associations between dairy cow mortality and 119 a priori-selected management practices or characteristics of 953 operations were evaluated. Eighty of the 119 risk factors explored in a univariate analysis met initial inclusion criteria for further evaluation of association with dairy cow mortality. A multivariable analysis was conducted to explore more complex relationships. The final multivariable model included 7 representative variables: herd levels of respiratory disease, lameness, and antibiotic use for treating sick cows, the percentage of culled cows less than 50 d in milk, the average calving interval, the use of a total mixed ration, and the region of the country. Increased odds of a greater level of mortality on farms was associated with greater percentages of lameness, respiratory disease, and sick cows treated with antibiotics, demonstrating the influence of physical derangements and disease on dairy cow mortality. Increased odds of a greater level of mortality was also associated with feeding a total mixed ration, culling fewer cows in early lactation, and herds located in western, midwestern, and southeastern regions relative to the northeastern United States, pointing to the importance of management decisions and operation characteristics on mortality outcomes. Further, an important interplay between facets of health and management on dairy cow mortality was suggested through the inclusion of the calving interval, with a longer calving interval leading to increased odds of a greater level of mortality on farms. Analysis of a variety of herd characteristics and practices with nationally representative data suggests that several health problems in tandem with aspects of operational construct and management are associated with increasing mortality.