Multi-dimensional assessment and scoring system for dairy farms

Figures & data

Figure 1. Variables, quality aspects and general index considered in the study.

Figure 2. Frequency distribution of CLA variable and identification of percentiles for the allocation to the 3-level rescaled variable.

Table 1. Average characteristics of the farms involved in the study.

Variable	Total	CV	Min	Max
Observations, n	56
Farm land, ha	39.6	69.9	8	130
Arable land, %	50.9	50.4	0	100
Lactating cows, n	78.6	61.1	15	180
LU^a	151	62.6	25.7	338
Stocking density, LU/ha	4.17	62.4	1.97	15.8
Replacement rate, %	44.8	17.9	15.1	57.7
Milk production, kg FPCM^b/cow day	27.0	16.5	15.8	37.5
Feed intake, kg of DMI^c	20.9	10.6	14.1	26.3
Dairy efficiency^d, kg FPCM/kg DMI	1.29	14.4	0.60	1.64
Forage intake, %	59.8	16.2	41.0	86.5
Forage/concentrate	1.73	65.8	0.70	6.39
Maize silage intake, %	30.9	38.2	0	47.4
Hay intake, %	20.3	61.7	0	46.6
Feed self-sufficiency^e, %	65.9	25.7	25.5	100

^a LU: livestock unit, DEFRA 2010).

^b FPCM: fat and protein corrected milk (4.0% of fat and 3.3% of protein content).

^c DMI: dry matter intake.

^d Dairy efficiency: calculated on lactating cows.

^e Feed self-sufficiency is calculated as the ratio between the dry matter (DM) produced on farm and the total DM needed to feed animals.

Table 2. Mean values and percentile of the variables chosen to define quality aspects.

Variable	Unit	Mean	Std. dev	25th percentile^d	50th percentile	75th percentile^e
Process quality
Absence of diarrhoea	% of animals	97.5	3.05	94.9	100	100
Absence of lameness	% of animals	89.5	12.7	86.6	93.7	100
Normal body condition score	% of animals	96.4	8.54	97.6	100	100
Absence of claw overgrowth	% of animals	62.2	18.3	50.0	63.6	72.2
GWP*	kg CO2-eq	1.29	0.25	1.15	1.24	1.40
Acidification^a	g SO2-eq	15.7	3.89	13.5	16.1	18.6
Eutrophication^a	g PO4-eq	7.58	1.68	6.14	7.74	8.97
Energy use^a	MJ	5.68	1.32	4.94	5.61	6.30
Land use^a	m2	1.28	0.47	0.88	1.12	1.60
IOFC^b	€/cow day	6.48	1.57	5.49	6.45	7.39
Gross margin	€/cow day	5.01	1.96	3.56	4.96	6.55
Product quality
Coliforms	Log10 cfu/mL	2.65	1.43	1.78	2.27	3.33
Lactic acid bacteria/standard plate count	%	83.4	13.0	76.2	85.4	94.5
Anaerobic spore forming bacteria	Log10 MPN/L	2.23	0.65	1.90	2.15	2.59
Protein	%	3.44	0.14	3.37	3.44	3.52
Fat	%	3.95	0.16	3.84	3.94	4.06
CLA	% total FA^c	0.39	0.07	0.33	0.37	0.44
Branched chain fatty acids	% total FA^c	1.84	0.27	1.65	1.80	1.97
ω6/ω3 fatty acids		4.48	1.32	3.43	4.47	5.20

^a The environmental impact categories are expressed for 1 kg of FPCM.

^b IOFC: Income over feed cost.

^c FA: Fatty Acids.

^d,e Chosen thresholds to defined the score for each variable.

Table 3. Process quality index level (excellent, medium and ordinary): average characteristics of the observations.

Variable	Excellent (E)	Medium (M)	Ordinary (O)	SE	P
Observations, n	15	35	6
Farm land, ha	45.1	36.8	31.1	14.2	.524
Arable land, %	51.2	53.3	49.9	14.0	.941
Lactating cows, n	90.6	73.5	83.1	25.0	.531
LU	173	142	169	49.0	.499
Stocking density, LU^c/ha	3.89	4.22	6.30	1.37	.169
Replacement rate, %	46.4	43.4	46.1	4.28	.453
Milk production, kg FPCM^d/cow day	30.6^a	25.8^b	23.2^b	2.08	.001
Feed intake, kg of DMI^e	22.0	21.2	20.1	1.15	.234
Dairy efficiency, kg FPCM/kg DMI	1.41^a	1.22^b	1.16^b	0.09	.003
Forage/concentrate	1.39	1.92	1.11	0.59	.144
Maize silage intake, %	35.7	32.5	22.7	5.83	.075
Hay intake, %	17.6	23.7	19.3	6.45	.277
Feed self-sufficiency^f, %	65.6	68.2	54.5	8.69	.189

^a,b At different superscript letters correspond different means at p < .01; estimated means were obtained from a single model run.

^c LU: livestock unit (DEFRA 2010).

^d FPCM: fat and protein corrected milk (4.0% of fat and 3.3% of protein content).

^e DMI: dry matter intake.

^f Feed self-sufficiency is calculated as the ratio between the dry matter (DM) produced on farm and the total DM needed to feed animals.

Table 4. Product quality index level (excellent, medium and ordinary): average characteristics of the observations.

Variable	Excellent (E)	Medium (M)	Ordinary (O)	SE	P
Observations, n	12	40	4
Farm land, ha	22.5^b	42.8^a	47.7^a	14.2	.083
Arable land, %	49.1	50.1	55.7	14.0	.910
Lactating cows, n	58.6	89.9	102	25.0	.168
LU	115	168	204	49.0	.175
Stocking density, LU^c/ha	4.99	4.47	4.94	1.37	.823
Replacement rate, %	44.6	46.0	45.3	4.28	.889
Milk production, kg FPCM^d/cow day	27.5	26.6	25.6	2.08	.682
Feed intake, kg of DMI^e	21.0	20.5	21.7	1.15	.494
Dairy efficiency, kg FPCM/kg DMI	1.29	1.30	1.19	0.09	.500
Forage/concentrate	1.66	1.48	1.28	0.59	.821
Maize silage intake, %	26.3	29.0	35.5	5.83	.374
Hay intake, %	25.0	17.0	18.6	6.45	.182
Feed self-sufficiency^f, %	56.3	64.1	67.8	8.69	.324

^a,b At different superscript letters correspond different means at p < 0.1; estimated means were obtained from a single model run.

^c LU: livestock unit (DEFRA 2010).

^d FPCM: fat and protein corrected milk (4.0% of fat and 3.3% of protein content).

^e DMI: dry matter intake.

^f Feed self-sufficiency is calculated as the ratio between the dry matter (DM) produced on farm and the total DM needed to feed animals.

Figure 3. Farm quality evaluation on the basis of dairy efficiency (kg FPCM/kg DMI).

Figure 4. Quality evaluation on the basis of the percentage of hay in the lactating cows’ ration (% of DMI).

DEFRA. 2010. Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. Definitions of terms used in farm business management. Available from: http://www.defra.gov.uk.

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