Biosecurity, health and disease management practices among the dairy farms in five districts of Bangladesh

Herd health management is a planned program to optimize health, welfare, and production of dairy cows. A cross-sectional study focused on herd health management of dairy farms, was carried out to assess the biosecurity, health, and disease management practices with associated socio-demographic factors. A structured questionnaire with closed- and open-ended questions was employed for farmers' interviews to acquire information on dairy farms. Data were collected from randomly selected 205 dairy farms in five districts (Dhaka-Savar, Mymensingh, Gazipur, Rangpur, and Sirajganj) of Bangladesh. Overall, 1.5% farms had "good", 17% had "moderate" and 81.5% had "poor" levels of biosecurity, health and disease management practices (BHDMP). Analysis of variance revealed that mean BHDMP scores were significantly (p < 0.05) higher in farms of Rangpur (27.6 ± 0.8) and Gazipur (26.7 ± 0.6) than those of the other three districts. Educational status had a significant effect on BHDMP scores. The farms owned by graduated farmers had the highest mean BHDMP score (30.4 ± 1.1) while the farms operated by illiterate farmers had the lowest BHDMP score (20.4 ± 0.4). Multiple linear regression analysis also revealed that educational status (secondary to post-graduation), training experience, area of study (Rangpur district), and herd size were significantly associated with BHDMP score of the farms. The findings lay a basis for improving dairy farms' biosecurity, health and disease management practices, which further envisage the adoption and implementation of herd health management programs.