van Soest F J S, Mourits M C M, Hogeveen H
1Business Economics Group,Wageningen University,Hollandseweg 1,6706 KN Wageningen,the Netherlands.
Animal. 2015 Nov;9(11):1875-83. doi: 10.1017/S175173111500141X. Epub 2015 Jul 16.
The expertise and knowledge of veterinary advisors on improving animal health management is key towards a better herd health status. However, veterinary advisors are not always aware of the goals and priorities of dairy farmers. To dairy farmers animal health is only one aspect of farm management and resources may be allocated to other more preferred areas. Veterinary advisors may experience this as non-compliant with their advice. To explore the preferences of European Union (EU) organic dairy farmers for improved animal health management relative to other farm management areas an adaptive conjoint analysis (ACA) was performed. A total of 215 farmers participated originating from organic dairy farms in France (n = 70), Germany (n = 60), Spain (n = 28) and Sweden (n = 57). The management areas udder health and claw health represented animal health management whereas barn, calf and pasture management represented potential conflicting management areas. Results indicate that EU organic dairy farmers differ in their preferences for improved animal health management within the farming system. In general, improved calf management was the most preferred area and improved claw health management was found to be least preferred, the remaining areas were of intermediate interest. Cluster analyses on claw health measures and udder health measures resulted in respectively seven and nine distinct preference profiles. The results indicate a high degree of variation in farmers' preference, which cannot be explained by the typical herd characteristics. With the individual preferences revealed by ACA, a veterinary advisor can now find out whether his intended advice is directed at a favourable or unfavourable management area of the farmer. If the latter is the case the veterinarian should first create awareness of the problem to the farmer. Insights in individual farmers preferences will allow veterinary advisors to better understand why farmers were incompliant with their advice and improve their advice by showing, for example, the potential benefits of their advice.
兽医顾问在改善动物健康管理方面的专业知识和技能是实现更好的畜群健康状况的关键。然而，兽医顾问并不总是了解奶农的目标和优先事项。对奶农来说，动物健康只是农场管理的一个方面，资源可能会被分配到其他更优先的领域。兽医顾问可能会觉得这是不遵循他们的建议。为了探究欧盟有机奶农相对于其他农场管理领域对改善动物健康管理的偏好，进行了一项适应性联合分析（ACA）。共有215名来自法国（n = 70）、德国（n = 60）、西班牙（n = 28）和瑞典（n = 57）有机奶牛场的奶农参与。乳房健康和蹄爪健康管理领域代表动物健康管理，而牛舍、犊牛和牧场管理则代表潜在的冲突管理领域。结果表明，欧盟有机奶农在养殖系统内对改善动物健康管理的偏好存在差异。总体而言，改善犊牛管理是最受青睐的领域，而改善蹄爪健康管理则是最不受青睐的，其余领域的受关注程度处于中间水平。对蹄爪健康措施和乳房健康措施的聚类分析分别产生了七个和九个不同的偏好概况。结果表明，奶农的偏好存在高度差异，这无法用典型的畜群特征来解释。通过适应性联合分析揭示的个体偏好，兽医顾问现在可以了解他的建议是针对奶农有利还是不利的管理领域。如果是后者，兽医首先应该让奶农意识到问题所在。了解个体奶农的偏好将使兽医顾问更好地理解奶农不遵循他们建议的原因，并通过展示例如他们建议的潜在好处来改进建议。
