02305naa a2200349 a 450000100080000000500110000800800410001902400350006010000170009524501210011226000090023352013270024265000110156965000140158065000090159465000200160365000100162365000280163365000190166165000330168065000180171365000100173165000190174165000110176065000240177165300110179570000200180670000210182670000190184770000160186677300730188219907752014-07-16       2014    bl uuuu     u00u1 u    #d7 a10.1007/s11250-014-0642-12DOI1 aSILVA, J. B.  aA comparative study of production performance and animal health practices in organic and conventional dairy systems.  c2014  aHealth and production management strategies influence environmental impacts of dairies. The objective of this paper was to measure risk factors on health and production parameters on six organic and conventional bovine, caprine, and ovine dairy herds in southeastern Brazil over six consecutive years (2006?2011). The organic operations had lower milk production per animal (P≤0.05), lower calf mortality (P≤0.05), less incidence of mastitis (P≤0.05), fewer rates of spontaneous abortions (P≤0.05), and reduced ectoparasite loads (P≤0.05) compared to conventional herds and flocks. Organic herds, however, had greater prevalence of internal parasitism (P≤0.05) than conventional herds. In all management systems, calves, kids, and lambs had greater oocyte counts than adults. However, calves in the organic group showed lower prevalence of coccidiosis. In addition, animals in the organic system exhibited lower parasitic resistance to anthelmintics. Herd genetic potential, nutritive value of forage, feed intake, and pasture parasite loads, however, may have influenced productive and health parameters. Thus, although conventional herds showed greater milk production and less disease prevalence, future research might quantify the potential implications of these unreported factors.  aBrazil  aGoat milk  aMilk  aMilk production  aSheep  aSustainable development  aCabra leiteira  aDesenvolvimento sustentável  aGado leiteiro  aLeite  aLeite de cabra  aOvelha  aProdução leiteira  aBrasil1 aFAGUNDES, G. M.1 aSOARES, J. P. G.1 aFONSECA, A. H.1 aMUIR, J. P.  tTropical Animal Health and Production, Amsterdangv. 46, n. 7, 2014.