New Veterinary Medicine Data Have Been Reported by Researchers at Cornell University (Cost benefit analysis of automatic lameness detection systems in dairy herds: A dynamic programming approach)

2020 MAY 12 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Daily Veterinary News -- New research on Veterinary Medicine is the subject of a report. According to news reporting from Ithaca, New York, by NewsRx journalists, research stated, “Epidemiological data establish that lameness is second only to mastitis as the dairy industry’s most prevalent and costly animal welfare issue. Using an automatic lameness detection (ALD) system in which continuous, accurate detection is coupled with proper treatment, is key for reducing economic losses due to lameness.”

The news correspondents obtained a quote from the research from Cornell University, “It is reasonable to assume that the cost of lameness would vary with its severity. Therefore, our first objective was to estimate the cost of different lameness severity levels as a function of milk production, lameness risk, conception probability, and treatment cost using a dynamic programming (DP) model. Our second objective was to conduct a cost benefit analysis for ALD systems which can reduce production losses through early detection and treatment of lameness, when compared to visual-detection (VD; i.e., performed by humans) systems. The default production loss parameters for the VD system used as inputs to the DP model were either sourced from the literature or were estimated based on data from a field trial. The production loss parameters for the ALD system used as inputs to the DP model were based on extrapolations of parameter values used for the VD system. The profit per present cow per year under assumed expenses and revenues decreased from $426.05 (when lameness incidence was assumed to be 0%) to $389.69 when lameness incidence was 19.5 %. Out of the 19.5 % lameness incidence in our default scenario, 9.8 % were moderate cases and 9.7 % were severe cases. Average cost of lameness was $36.36 at 19.5 % incidence. Average cost of lameness increased with increased incidence and was respectively $82.05, $195.05, and $286.87 at the low, medium, and high incidence scenarios. We used an operational framework which compared the lameness costs between the VD and ALD systems with 25 %, 50 % and 75 % net avoided costs (NAC) for the 10 year lifespan of the ALD system, at default, low, medium and high lameness incidence scenarios. The net return per cow per year from using an ALD system over a VD system was $13, at low incidence and 25 % NAC. The net return per cow per year for the ALD system was as high as $99 at high incidence and 75 % NAC.”

According to the news reporters, the research concluded: “Out of 351 (3 system prices, 3 system efficiencies, 3 levels of lameness incidence and 13 different herd sizes) scenarios tested, 295 resulted in a net profit within the system lifespan of 10 years, thus justifying the investment in ALD systems.”

For more information on this research see: Cost benefit analysis of automatic lameness detection systems in dairy herds: A dynamic programming approach. Preventive Veterinary Medicine, 2020;178():104993. Preventive Veterinary Medicine can be contacted at: Elsevier Science BV, PO Box 211, 1000 AE Amsterdam, Netherlands. (Elsevier - www.elsevier.com; Preventive Veterinary Medicine - http://www.journals.elsevier.com/preventive-veterinary-medicine/)

Our news journalists report that additional information may be obtained by contacting K. Kaniyamattam, Section of Epidemiology, Dept. of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, United States. Additional authors for this research include J. Hertl, G. Lhermie, U. Tasch, R. Dyer and Y.T Grohn.

The direct object identifier (DOI) for that additional information is: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.prevetmed.2020.104993. This DOI is a link to an online electronic document that is either free or for purchase, and can be your direct source for a journal article and its citation.

Publisher contact information for the journal Preventive Veterinary Medicine is: Elsevier Science BV, PO Box 211, 1000 AE Amsterdam, Netherlands.

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