Economic impacts of reduced milk production associated with epidemiological risk factors for Johne's disease on dairy operations in the USA.

Abstract

An examination of the economic effects of epidemiologic risk factors for Johne's disease identified regional and herd size differences as having the greatest impact. Having dairy cows that were not born on the operation was the most important factor over which individual producers had the most immediate control. Economic consequences associated with using multiple-cow-maternity housing and multiple-preweaned-calf housing were not statistically significant. Economic welfare analysis was applied, and the GUM Workbench was used to analyse uncertainties in the estimates of the economic impacts.