DRAFT
Format 6
Health Record
(July 2005 draft version)
Animal Improvement Programs Laboratory
10300 Baltimore Avenue
BARC-West, Building 005, Room 306
Beltsville, Maryland
20705-2350
A data format is needed to facilitate the collection and exchange of health events for research by AIPL based on information available through the Dairy Herd Improvement program. This document constitutes a draft of a format for health records, and is compatible with AIPL Formats 4 (Lactation Record) and 5 (Reproductive Record).
The proposed format is identical to Format 5 through byte 137. Like Format 5, a number of health event segments may be stored in each record. A Format 6 record will begin with a calving event and end prior to a subsequent calving or with the disposal of an animal. Heifer records will be handled in the same manner as for reproductive events. For a heifer, the calving date will be blank. A heifer record will capture all health events prior to first calving.
Format 6 can capture not only disease incidence but also disease severity information when available. A two-level system is proposed for describing health events, and consists of the health event code and the health event detail (optional). The format is designed to record disease incidence data rather than disease or preventative treatment data.
Following the system used for test-day and reproductive event data 20 events may be reported per Format 6 record, and multiple Format 6 records may be reported per lactation. All health events for which codes have been defined should be forwarded in Format 6 records. Events for which a code has not been defined will not be stored.
Health event code. In order for the data provided in Format 6 to be of optimum value for research, a standard set of codes for health events should be encouraged throughout DHI. The development of a set of uniform health event codes should be done in conjunction with the bovine practitioners, the dairy records processing personnel, and other interested parties in order to maximize the likelihood of these being accepted on a widespread basis.
Health event date. This field records the date on which the health event occurred.
Health event date type. If the date of the health event is known with certainty, it should be coded ‘A’ for actual. If the date of the health event is not known, it should be coded as ‘E’ for estimated.
Health event detail (optional). There is a need to provide sufficient detail in the format to help dairy producers deal with specific problems of high economic impact, e.g., clinical mastitis in which a causative organism may be known. The causative organism can be recorded in the health event detail field. For example, there will be a single mastitis code in the health event code field and an accompanying note of the organism in the health event detail field if the producer chooses to supply it (Health event code: ‘MAST’; Event detail: ‘STAPH□’). Other health event codes may use this field to provide further information about the event. For example, dystocia scores could be transferred using Format 6 instead of a separate format. For such records, this field would contain scores of 1 for unassisted births to 5 for extremely difficult births. Examples of health event details are provided in the SAMPLE HEALTH EVENT SEGMENTS section.
Descriptions and four-character codes for the health events to be reported are presented below. Diseases were selected for inclusion in Format 6 based on an analysis of events reported in field data, as well as on their frequency of occurrence and economic impact as reported in the literature. Format 6 is an extensible format and additional health event codes can be defined as necessary to accommodate future needs. The four-character codes are for data transmission purposes and do not need to be made visible to the user of the on-farm management system. (A “□” indicates a blank or null character.)
Description | 4-character code |
Health Traits | |
CYSTIC OVARY | CYST |
DIARRHEA/SCOURS | DIAR |
DIGESTIVE PROBLEM/OFF FEED | DIGE |
DISPLACED ABOMASUM | DISP |
DOWNER COW | DOWN |
DYSTOCIA | DYST |
JOHNE’S DISEASE (CLINICAL) | JOHN |
KETOSIS/ACETONEMIA | KETO |
LAMENESS (INFECTIOUS CAUSES) | LAMI |
LAMENESS (LAMINITIC CAUSES) | LAML |
LAMENESS (TRAUMA AND OTHER) | LAMO |
MASTITIS (CLINICAL) | MAST |
METRITIS | METR |
MILK FEVER/HYPOCALCEMIA | MILK |
NERVOUS SYSTEM PROBLEM | NERV |
OTHER REPRODUCTIVE PROBLEM | REPR |
RESPIRATORY PROBLEM | RESP |
RETAINED PLACENTA | RETP |
STILLBIRTH | STIL |
TEAT INJURY | TEAT |
UDDER EDEMA | EDEM |
Management Traits | |
BODY CONDITION SCORE | BCS□ |
MILKING SPEED | SPEE |
TEMPERAMENT | TEMP |
Dystocia and stillbirth data are currently received by AIPL in a separate format from lactation and reproductive records. Inclusion of these traits may lead to improved reporting and improve our ability to accurately model the impact of dystocia and stillbirth on production. This data will complement, rather than replace, data currently collected for these traits.
A cow that is off feed should be classified as DIGE only when no other disease is present, e.g., a cow that is off feed because of lameness should be classified as LAME rather than as DIGE.
If a downer cow is known to be affected by a specific disease event, e.g. dystocia, DOWN and DYST records can be provided.
The calving ease score based on the typical five-point scale can be recorded in the health event detail field. A calving ease score for all births is preferred to scores for only difficult births.
Three lameness codes are provided in order to distinguish between lameness due to infectious pathogens, lameness due to metabolic causes, and lameness due to physical trauma. For example, a record for a cow with lameness attributable to hairy heel wart would receive the code LAMI and may include the notation “WART” in the health event detail field.
This code should be used only for cows that exhibit clinical Johne's Disease. Positive tests without clinical symptoms should not be reported.
The health event detail field for MAST events will store information on affected quarters, clinical appearance, and organisms. A separate health event record should be generated for each infected quarter. Organisms should only be indicated when confirmed by a culture. The health event detail field for a MAST has the following format:
Detail | Position | Num Bytes | Values |
Affected quarter | 1-2 | 2 | FL,FR,RL,RR |
Clinical appearance | 3 | 1 | 1,2,3 |
Organism | 4-5 | 1 | A,B,C,E,K,M,N,O,P,R,S,Y,□ |
Affected Quarter
The affected quarter is indicated by a two-digit code where the first digit is F (for “front”) of R (for “rear”) and the second digit is L (for “left”) or R (for “right”).
Clinical Appearance
Clinical appearance is indicated by a one-digit code consisting of 1, 2, or 3. The codes are assigned as follows:
Code | Appearance |
1 | Quarter has abnormal milk, quarter is not swollen or inflamed, cow is not sick. |
2 | Quarter has abnormal milk, quarter is swollen or inflamed, cow is not sick. |
3 | Quarter has abnormal milk, quarter is swollen or inflamed, cow is sick. |
Organism
Organisms are indicated using a one-digit character. Organisms are only identified when the quarter has been cultured. When no culture has been taken a null character (□) should be assigned to this byte.
Code | Organism |
A | Streptococcus agalactiae |
B | Corynebacterium bovis |
C | Staphylococcus spp. |
E | Escherichia coli |
K | Klebsiella spp. |
M | Mycoplasma spp. |
N | No growth |
O | Other organism |
P | Psuedomonas aeruginosa |
R | Staphylococcus aureus |
S | Streptococcus spp. |
Y | Yeast |
□ | No culture taken. |
Symptoms of a nervous system problems include staggering, circling, head tilting, paralysis, down, and coma.
This trait includes pneumonia and all other observed respiratory problems.
The health event detail field should contain the sex of the calf, if known, coded as “M” (for males) or “F” (for females).
The health event detail field should contain the body condition score with two decimal places (e.g. 2.00 or 3.25).
Sample health event segments are provided to demonstrate proper usage. Only bytes 138+ of each segment are presented; “□” indicates a blank or null character.
An animal with a body condition score of “3.25” indicated in the health event detail field.
BCS□20031004A3.25□□
A calving ease score of “3” indicated in the health event detail field.
DYST20031004A3□□□□□
A three-segment case of clinical mastitis in the right front quarter, the quarter is inflamed but the cow is not sick, and the organism was cultured as Staph. aureus.
MAST20040101AFR2R□□
MAST20040102AFR2R□□
MAST20040104AFR1R□□