**3. Conclusion**

Feed and feeding conditions (especially ration design) are not infrequently the cause of health problems and/or performance losses in dairy herds. The possible damage (in terms of financial losses) ranges from reduced performance in the form of lower fertility, reduced milk yield or changes in milk quality to clinical disorders (coupled with treatment costs) and animal losses (e.g. sudden death of one or more animals). In contrast to the conditions in pig and poultry farming, where complete feed concepts are common, in dairy cow feeding the detection of weak points and failures, i.e. the causal clarification of feeding problems, is much more difficult. The variety of feeds and their variation in composition and quality, the differences in ration design depending on farm conditions (housing/feeding technique) and performance stage (dry period/high lactation) and, last but not least, the considerable individual variation in feed intake (concerning the quantity and ratio of various components of the ration) explain the particular challenge when it comes to possibly feed-related problems in dairy farms.

Satisfactory feeding practices require due diligence along the path from feed to food (´from stable to table´). However, ensuring these requirements and striving to avoid feeding-related problems in the dairy herd ultimately requires cooperation between the livestock farmer and the veterinarian.
