Culling for TB can Lead to Welfare Issues on Farm
UK - Bovine tuberculosis could be increasing welfare issues on farm, said Karen Lancaster, Technical Extension Officer with DairyCo.
15 June 2012
1 minute read
Speaking at a recent Farm Animal Well-Being Forum, hosted by Boehringer Ingelheim, Ms Lancaster said when farms lose a lot cows through culling for TB, not only is this an economical problem, it can also be a welfare issue.
If a farmers is losing animals through a TB breakdown, and doesn't want to buy replacements but would rather breed replacements, there will only be a certain number coming through.
If you lose cows through Tb, there is no capacity to cull for other reasons if you want to keep your cull rate low, but also maintain production.
She said that in these situations you may find cows that should have been culled for lameness, mastitis or ill health, being held onto to maintain the culling rate and production.
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