Financial losses related to placental retention in dairy herds in Turkey

Abstract

This study aimed to calculate the financial losses related to placental retention (PR) in dairy cattle in Turkey taking into consideration the previous study results in three different geographical regions and 87 herds of Turkey. The mean prevalence of PR in dairy herds was assumed to be 5.6% (4.1-6.7%). Direct (milk losses, treatment, and involuntary culling) and indirect losses (extended calving interval and extra insemination) were calculated. In the financial analysis, direct and indirect losses were calculated according to the current prices of 2022. As a result, the financial losses per infected dairy cattle were estimated at $ 249.7 (624 Lt milk eq.). A total of 67.7% ($173) of these resulted from direct losses, and the remainder 32.3% ($82.5), were indirect losses. PR was responsible for a total of $92 million (ranged from $67-110 million) losses, which equates to 1.2% (0.8-1.14%) of the annual milk production in Turkey. In conclusion, magnitude of PR-related losses will provide evidence-based decision support to the farmers and policymakers when determining the priorities for disease mitigation and control strategies.