Epidemiological studies of the occurrence of abomasal displacement in dairy cows

By Lotthammer, K. H., Tierarztliche Umschau, 1992
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Description
In a study of herd health and fertility problems in 1089 dairy herds in north and north-west Germany in 1989-1991, the occurrence of abomasal displacement, determined as one or more cases per herd, was examined in relation to the management of the herd and the occurrence of other health problems. 18.1% of the herds had experienced one or more cases of abomasal displacement per year. A positive association between milk yield and the occurrence of abomasal displacement was observed. The percentage of herds with abomasal displacement was 8.1% for herds with an average milk yield of <5500 kg compared with 34.0% of herds with an average milk yield of >8000 kg. No significant associations were observed between the occurrence of abomasal displacement and herd size or feeding practices. The variation in the disease incidence with different housing systems was accounted for by the difference in the average milk yield. The percentage of herds experiencing cases of acetonaemia, problems with lameness and fertility and with mastitis was greater for herds with displaced abomasum than those not affected. It was concluded that an unbalanced energy supply in the diets of high yielding dairy cows increases the risk of occurrence of abomasal displacement
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