Socioeconomic data, management practices and frequency of diseases or health conditions in Puerto Rico dairies

Abstract

A study was conducted to provide data on socioeconomic criteria and management practices and to identify the most common diseases on the dairy farms of Puerto Rico. The owners of 215 dairies were interviewed, representing 59% of all operating dairies on the Island at the time of the study. These operational units reported possessing 69,744 heads of dairy cattle. Among the groupings of dairies by level of income, the most numerous group was that of those surpassing $500,000 annually. The most common diseases in the different grouping of animals by age were as follows: calves from three days to three months, diarrhea and pneumonia; calves over three months to one year, parasites and pneumonia; heifers 12 months or older, anaplasmosis and parasites; first calf heifers, mastitis and dystocia; adult cows (pre-partum to two weeks post-parturn), mastitis and retained placenta; lactating cows younger than five years and also those over five years, mastitis and laminitis; dry cows, anaplasmosis and piroplasmosis.