APHIS Stakeholders Announcement

Veterinary Services May 18, 2010

USDA Releases 

Seventh Report from 

Dairy 2007 Study

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant 

Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has released the 

latest report from its Dairy 2007 study. The interpretive 

report, Biosecurity Practices on U.S. Dairy Operations, 

1991-2007, was produced by APHIS’ National Animal 

Health Monitoring System (NAHMS).

Dairy 2007 is NAHMS’ fourth national study of 

the U.S. dairy industry. The study was designed 

to provide participants, industry and animal health 

officials with information on the nation’s dairy 

population that will serve as a basis for education and 

research. Seventeen states participated in the study. 

These states accounted for 79.5 percent of U.S. dairy 

operations and 82.5 percent of the nation’s dairy cows. 

Here are a few highlights from the latest Dairy 2007 

report:

• In 2002 and 2007, most producers were fairly 

knowledgeable or knew some basics about 

foot-and-mouth disease, bovine spongiform 

encephalopathy (BSE), Johne’s disease and 

Mycoplasma mastitis; however, the majority 

of producers were unfamiliar with heartwater, 

screwworm, bluetongue, vesicular stomatitis and 

hemorrhagic bowel syndrome.

• Most producers in 2002 and 2007 indicated 

that they would use their private veterinarian for 

disease information if a foreign animal disease 

occurred in the United States or if they suspected 

that a foreign animal disease was on their 

operation. 

• In 2007, the most common classes of cattle 

brought onto the operation from outside sources 

were: lactating dairy cows, added by 13.8 percent 

of operations; weaned dairy bulls, added by 12.5 

percent of operations and bred dairy heifers, 

added by 12.2 percent of operations.

• On operations with 500 or more cows, almost onehalf of cow replacements (47.8 percent) were born 

on the operation but raised off-site. In 2007, nearly 

two-thirds of operations that sent heifers off-site 

to be raised (63.8 percent) sent them to a rearing 

facility where they had contact with cattle from 

other operations. 

• Of operations bringing dairy cattle from outside 

sources onto the operation in 2007, less than 

one-half (47.2 percent) required vaccination of new 

additions prior to arrival; approximately one out 

of ! ve operations (20.3 percent) quarantined new 

additions and nearly one-fourth of operations 

(23.3 percent) required testing for new additions. 

Biosecurity Practices on U.S. Dairy Operations, 

1991-2007 is available at the NAHMS Web site: 

http://nahms.aphis.usda.gov.

Note to Reporters: Public notices and other 

APHIS information are available on the Internet and 

through Really Simple Syndication (RSS) feeds. Go to 

the APHIS news release page at www.aphis.usda.gov

and click on the “Newsroom” button to view and/or sign 

up to receive releases via the RSS feed link. 

For additional information about this topic contact 

Lyndsay Cole at (970) 494-7410 or e-mail 

lyndsay.m.cole@aphis.usda.gov.

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in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national 

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(202) 720–6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and 

employer. 

United States Department of Agriculture • Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service • Safeguarding American Agriculture