Economic Modeling: Dynamic Program Approach to Lameness

Existing studies examining the costs of lameness have been targeted towards benefiting the dairy industry, with a focus on justifying the total cost of lameness by herd. These studies, however, are not particularly useful for farmers in making economically optimal decisions relating to individual cows suffering from lameness. The objective of this study was to propose a framework examining the relationships between individual cow characteristics, enabling the development of a more informed decision making process in lameness management. We made modifications to an existing dynamic optimization and simulation model, studying the effects of various factors (incidence of lameness, milk loss, conception rate and treatment cost) on the cost of lameness. The average cost of lameness in this study herd was $105 per cow and year and $114 per lameness case. This was comprised of $46 from milk loss, $30 from decreased fertility and $38 from treatment costs. In the basic scenario, 94% of lameness cases were recommended to be treated. The cost per case of lameness was 7% higher with a 20% increase in milk price and 8% lower with a 20% decrease in milk price. Lower replacement heifer price (20%) reduced the cost per lame case by 9.6%. A change in ...