Extending Lifespans & Length of Lactations

Tuesday, November 24 · 10:00 AM EST

Dutch dairy farmers are increasingly interested in keeping cows productive for longer, as this may benefit farm economics, animal welfare, and environmental impact. The lifespan of dairy cows depends on cow health, management practices, and farm characteristics. In interviews, farmers with older cows emphasized cow robustness and cost efficiency, while farmers with lower cow lifespans focused on maximizing milk yield and a broad range of improvement factors. Moreover, the availability of replacement heifers influences culling decisions. The number of potential calves for replacement can be reduced by, for example, an increased use of beef breed inseminations, but also by fewer calvings through extended lactations. This presentation examines cow lifespan in Dutch dairy farms and focuses on extended lactations and their effect on milk production, cow health, and economics.

Eline Burgers completed her PhD at Wageningen University & Research in 2022, in the groups Adaptation Physiology (Wageningen University) and Animal Nutrition (Wageningen Livestock Research). During her PhD, she investigated consequences of an extended lactation for milk production, fertility, health, metabolism, and net herd returns. Currently, Eline is a researcher at the Animal Nutrition department of Wageningen Livestock Research. Her projects include extended lactations, dairy cow lifespan, grazing systems, and animal-centered husbandry.