Effect of Region, Herd Size, and Milk Production on Reasons Cows Leave the Herd

Dairy Herd Improvement Holstein herd summary records (n = 11,259) were obtained for the year ending 1998. Reasons cows reportedly left the herd based on termination codes were analyzed for the effect of region, herd size, and herd milk production level. Regions were: North, Midsouth, and South. Herd sizes were: small (25 to 99), low medium (100 to 149), high medium (150 to 299), and large (greater than or equal to 300 cows). Milk production levels were: low (less than 7258 kg), medium (7258 to 9072 kg), and high (greater than 9072 kg). The overall percentage of cows leaving the herd was higher in the Midsouth than the South and increased with herd size. Low producing herds reported a lower percentage of cows left than high producing herds. Herds in the South reported more cows leaving for reproduction, death, and low production and fewer leaving for mastitis. Herds in the North and Midsouth reported more cows leaving for injury/other and disease, respectively. Cows left herds for disease less frequently in the North. Large herds in the South had a higher percentage leaving for low production than any herd size group in the North. Small herds reported more cows leaving for reproduction and mastitis than high medium and low medium size herds. The percentage of cows leaving for feet and leg problems was lowest for small size herds. High producing herds reported more cows leaving for reproduction, mastitis, feet and legs and disease.