Lameness on Brazilian pasture based dairies - Part 2: Conversations with farmers and dairy consultants.
Prev Vet Med
; 157: 115-124, 2018 Sep 01.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-30086839
A farmer or a dairy consultant's ability to identify and properly treat lame dairy cows is key to managing lameness on farms. However, this ability is dependent on their knowledge and perceptions regarding lameness. To date these topics are poorly understood in all dairy systems. To our knowledge, this is the first study that uses a qualitative approach to describe the perception of lameness in Brazilian pasture-based dairy farms. The aim of this study was firstly, to contextualize farmers and dairy consultants' culture and knowledge on the topic of lameness and, secondly, to understand how these factors may influence lameness management on the farms. In-depth face-to-face semi-structured interviews were done with participating farm owners (nâ¯=â¯21) and dairy consultants (nâ¯=â¯13). Thematic analyses of the interview content provided evidence that the dairy community's overarching culture around lameness acts as a barrier preventing positive actions targeting lameness control and prevention. The emerging themes identified indicate that lameness is a vague, ill-defined concept among both farmers and dairy consultants working in this region. There was a shared belief that pasture-based systems have a low risk for lameness. Furthermore, the prevailing culture for tackling lameness was reactive, particularly in the case of lame cows affected by physical trauma or environmental factors. Treatment was frequently delayed and the misuse of antibiotics was evident. Described community culture was rationalised via the cognitive dissonance and health belief models. We suggest that increased dialogue, including educational efforts within the community, may lead to increased sensitivity of risk perception of lameness within the community and in turn trigger appropriate diagnosis and treatment of lame cows.
Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Doenças dos Bovinos
/
Consultores
/
Indústria de Laticínios
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Fazendeiros
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Coxeadura Animal
Tipo de estudo:
Prognostic_studies
/
Qualitative_research
Limite:
Animals
País/Região como assunto:
America do sul
/
Brasil
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Prev Vet Med
Ano de publicação:
2018
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Suécia
País de publicação:
Holanda