Table 1 Descriptive and single-factorial analyses of risk factors for health and performance problems in dairy farms in Northern Germany (qualitative variables); a varying number of farms is due to missing values

Positive for liver flukes

No¹

31

68.9

38

80.9

1

Yes

14

31.1

9

19.2

1.91

0.73

4.99

0.1887

Positive for lungworms

No¹

28

62.2

37

78.7

1

Yes

17

37.8

10

21.3

2.25

0.89

5.65

0.0855

Positive for intestinal parasites

No¹

21

46.7

32

68.1

1

Yes

24

53.3

15

31.9

2.44

1.04

5.69

0.0394

Positive for MAP

No¹

40

88.9

45

95.7

1

Yes

4

8.9

1

2.1

4.49

0.48

41.79

0.1873

Claw with high-grade dermatitis digitalis

No¹

22

48.9

26

55.3

1

Yes

23

51.1

21

44.7

1.29

0.57

2.94

0.5374

Number out of ten examined cows with poor claw condition

No cow¹

27

60.0

29

61.7

1

0.1426²

One cow

7

15.6

13

27.7

0.58

0.20

1.67

0.3104

> one cow

11

24.4

5

10.6

2.36

0.73

7.69

0.1533

Frequency of herd claw trimming

monthly or quarterly¹

3

6.7

5

10.6

1

0.7800²

Half-yearly

23

51.1

22

46.8

1.74

0.37

8.18

0.4815

> half-yearly/ irregularly

19

42.2

20

42.6

1.58

0.33

7.56

0.5645

Average ratio of cows per watering place

≤ 1 ¹

15

33.3

9

19.2

1

0.1033²

1.01–1.5

16

35.6

27

57.5

0.36

0.13

1.00

0.0498

>  1.5

14

31.1

11

23.4

0.77

0.24

2.40

0.6438

Average ratio of cows per feeding place

≤ 1 ¹

14

31.1

10

21.3

1

0.3551²

1.01–1.5

25

55.6

26

55.3

0.69

0.26

1.83

0.4523

>  1.5

6

13.3

11

23.4

0.39

0.11

1.41

0.1501

Average ratio of cows per cubicle

≤ 1 ¹

21

46.7

21

44.7

1

>  1

24

53.3

26

55.3

0.92

0.41

2.10

0.8484

% of pens with raised cubicles

No pen¹

9

20.0

15

31.9

1

0.0465²

1–99% of pens

12

26.7

19

40.4

1.06

0.35

3.16

0.9270

All pens

24

53.3

13

27.7

3.08

1.06

8.94

0.0390

Number of pens with no bedding material in cubicles

No pen¹

29

64.4

32

68.1

1

≥ 1 pen

16

35.6

15

31.9

1.18

0.50

2.80

0.7120

Number of pens with no bedding material nor rubber mats in cubicles

No pen¹

40

88.9

38

80.9

1

≥ 1 pen

5

11.1

9

19.2

0.53

0.16

1.72

0.2885

Average height of neck rail of cubicles > 115 cm

Yes¹

26

57.8

26

55.3

1

No

19

42.2

21

44.7

0.91

0.40

2.07

0.8121

Average width of cubicles > 120 cm

Yes¹

0

0.0

0

0.0

No

47

100.0

47

100.0

Average distance from neck rail to curb > 195 cm

Yes¹

33

73.3

36

76.6

1

No

12

26.7

11

23.4

1.19

0.46

3.06

0.7181

% of pens with slippery floors

None¹

21

46.7

20

42.6

1

0.4259²

1–49% of pens

5

11.1

10

21.3

0.48

0.14

1.64

0.2394

≥ 50% of pens

19

42.2

17

36.2

1.06

0.43

2.61

0.8914

Number of pens with damaged floors

No pen¹

36

80.0

42

89.4

1

≥ 1 pen

9

20.0

5

10.6

2.10

0.65

6.84

0.2180

% of pens with dirty or very dirty floors

0–49% of pens¹

5

11.1

14

29.8

1

0.0481²

50–99% of pens

15

33.3

17

36.2

2.47

0.72

8.49

0.1511

All pens

24

53.3

16

34.0

4.38

1.32

14.50

0.0158

% of pens with dirty or very dirty lying areas

None¹

12

26.7

25

53.2

1

0.0070²

1–49%

8

17.8

11

23.4

1.52

0.48

4.75

0.4756

≥ 50%

24

53.3

11

23.4

4.73

1.76

12.72

0.0020

Frequency of daily feed delivery felc³

≥ twice a day¹

17

37.8

20

42.6

1

< twice a day

28

62.2

27

57.5

1.22

0.53

2.81

0.6407

Frequency of pushing the feed back to the fence felc³

≥ 5 times a day¹

3

6.7

8

17.0

1

0.1318²

4 times a day

12

26.7

15

31.9

2.40

0.53

10.88

0.2562

3 times a day

14

31.1

15

31.9

2.80

0.63

12.50

0.1773

<  3 times a day

16

35.6

8

17.0

6.00

1.26

28.50

0.0242

High-grade mildewed silage or a silage with decomposition or loss of structure

No¹

14

31.1

23

49.0

1

Yes

31

68.9

24

51.1

2.12

0.91

4.97

0.0834

Silage with abnormal dry matter content

No¹

30

66.7

33

70.1

1

Yes

15

33.3

14

29.8

1.18

0.49

2.84

0.7145

Grass silage with crude ash content (> 8%)

No¹

3

6.4

1

2.1

1

Yes

44

93.5

46

97.9

1.47

0.23

9.21

0.6834

Grass silage with pH-value > 4.7 or corn silage with pH-value > 4.2

No¹

43

95.6

45

95.7

1

Yes

2

4.4

2

4.3

1.05

0.14

7.76

0.9645

Silage with microbiological deviations

No¹

9

20.2

12

25.5

1

Yes

36

80.0

34

72.3

1.37

0.51

3.66

0.5282

% of the herd with milk fat < 3% in the last DHI data

<  3%

30

66.7

28

59.6

1

0.6034²

3–5%

9

20.0

9

19.2

0.93

0.32

2.69

0.8983

>  5%

6

13.3

10

21.3

0.56

0.18

1.74

0.3170

Crude fiber per kg DM in the diets < 18% (PMR) or < 16% (TMR)

No¹

18

40.0

16

34.0

1

Yes

27

60.0

31

66.0

0.77

0.33

1.81

0.5547

Season of the farm visit

Nov-Apr¹

15

33.3

26

55.3

1

May-Oct

30

66.7

21

44.7

2.48

1.06

5.77

0.0356

Access to pasture

No¹

9

20.0

16

34.0

1

Yes

36

80.0

31

66.0

2.06

0.80

5.32

0.1337