Damage types, causes of damage and herd leaving ages in dairy cattle under the scope of livestock insurance and subject to compensation in some districts of Izmir Province of Turkey

Abstract

In this research, in some districts of Izmir province, damage types, causes of damage, ages at which the damage 
occured and hot carcass weights of Holstein cattle which are under the scope of state supported livestock 
insurance and which were slaughtered involuntarily due to various reasons, which died, aborted or whose calves 
died, were examined. The research data were obtained from the damage reports prepared by Agricultural Insurances 
Pool (AIP) experts and records kept by slaughterhouses. Damage types that are subject to compensation in dairy 
cattle are classified by AIP under four groups: involuntary slaughtering, death, abortion and calf death. The 
distribution percentages of the 215 damage reports into groups of involuntary slaughtering, death, abortion and calf 
death were found as 53.5, 6.5, 13.5 and 26.5% respectively. The mean herd leaving ages due to death and 
involuntary slaughtering were found to be 42.6 months and 52.4 months, respectively. In involuntary slaughtering, 
the causes of damage were separated into five groups as udder disorders, reproduction and calving problems 
(excluding abortion), digestive tract disorders, foot and leg problems, and injury and other problems. In the 115 
cattle that were involuntarily slaughtered, the distribution percentages of the above causes were 51.3, 17.4, 11.3, 7.8 
and 12.2%, respectively. The mean carcass weights of involuntarily slaughtered cattle were 224, 216, 198 and 204 kg 
for winter, spring, summer and autumn, respectively (P<0.10). The overall mean was 216 kg. Although the number of 
companies active in agricultural insurance is 22, it was observed that the cattle examined in our research were 
insured by only 4 companies. Livestock insurance is a practice which could help with the healthy development of 
the livestock sector.