A three year herd health and management program on thirty Dutch dairy farms. IV. Special aspects.

The ultimate objective of a herd health and management program must be optimal farm net profit. Maximal profit can be expected by carrying out a program based on a whole farm approach. A simple and well-ordered registration system is one of the most important aspects for the success of a program. Experiences with the different registration systems of the program are discussed. In the future it is desirable to process the registered data by computer. The farmer should know the possibilities of the program in advance and must be motivated to carry out advice. When giving advice veterinarians have to take into account the specific circumstances on each farm and the objectives of the farmer. The veterinarian also has to be well-informed about the factors which influence the farm net profit and to this end cooperation with other experts is necessary. In this trial close cooperation between the veterinarian and agricultural adviser were seen as a very positive feature of the program. The program must be carried out at regular times in a fixed sequence, which covers complete herd health and farm management. The frequency of farm visits depends on the problems, farm size and the season. On average one visit per month will be sufficient for farms up to 100 dairy cows. Cooperation between farmer and veterinarian is one of the essential aspects. Frequent evaluation is very stimulating. The benefits of a herd health and management program were found to be substantial in this trial. Therefore the costs of the program can be considered by the farmer to be a sound investment.