Disentangling the relationships between lameness, milking frequency and milk production in Dutch dairy herds using an automatic milking system

Lameness in dairy cattle commonly results in milk production losses. Previous studies have quantified this effect in cows milked with conventional milking systems. The effect of lameness on milk production in herds with automatic milking systems (AMS) might differ because lame cows may visit the AMS less frequently, resulting in an additional milk production loss. This observational study aimed to quantify the direct and indirect effect, through milking frequency, of lameness on milk production in AMS herds by means of a multilevel mediation analysis. Lameness scores, the number of visits to t... Mehr ...