The aim of this survey was to measure animal health and welfare on organic farms. 260 postal questionnaires were sent to dairy farmers in Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, Dorset and Gloucestershire. The response rate was 41% and (34%) were used. The questions covered; general farm data and cow; culling, nutrition, housing, reproduction, health and mastitis. Mean farm size was (ha), 115.0 (sed 79.65), Mean milk yield (litres), 5900 (sed 965.0), calving interval (d) 383.6 (sed 13.43) and the main reasons forculling were (%), infertility, 35.2, (sed 47.94), Mastitis, 17.3 (sed 11.72), lameness 13.9 (sed 11.36). The issues that farmers perceived to be a problem mastitis, fertility and lameness, while bloat and other health issues received a lower perceptionscore. The average somatic cell count (SCC) was 222,000 (cells/ml) (sed 10.900) and number of clinical cases/year was 41.1 (sed 7.80). There was a significantly higher SCC in farms that had a combination of loose housing and cubicles, 271, 200 (sed 62,500). The incidence of lameness was 25.1 (sed 11.910) cases per 10(5 cows, while farmers had a prevalence of 3.9 (sed 2.52) lames cows on any one day per 100 cows. The main cause of lameness (%) was digital dermatitis, 5.5 (sed 4.35) followed by sole ulcers, 4.7 (sed 3.66) and fowl of the foot, 4.6 (sed 2.87) and stone puncture, 4.20 (sed 3.84). Heel erosion was less common, 2.30 (seed 1.06). This survey indicated that the major health and possibly welfare issue in organic milk production was mastitis, with fertility being the next major issue.
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