Cross-Breed Neonatal Calf Mortality and Health Problems in Small-Scale Dairy Production in and Around Bishoftu Town, Oromia

Abstract

- Calf mortality is a perennial problem for dairy producers worldwide and impairs appropriate heifer replacement. However, limited study has been reported on calf mortality in the study area. Hence, a Longitudinal prospective observational study was conducted between November 2016 to April 2017 in urban and peri-urban smallholder dairy farms of Bishoftu town on 158 live-born calves selected from 60 dairy farms to identify the risk factors associated with calf mortality. A questionnaire tool was used to collect information on the risk factors of calf mortality. Calf diarrhea was the leading cause of calf mortality, with a case-specific mortality rate of 3.1% among the causes of death recorded. The total cumulative incidence of mortality found in this study was 8.2 %. The association of 8 potential risk factors with dairy calf mortality was investigated. Of these factors, among others, delivery condition (OR=5.9, P=0.018), amount of colostrum (2L) (OR =0.17, P = 0.039), age of calf (OR=6.5, P=0.046), and farm size≥8 (OR = 12.9, P = 0.007), were the risk factors found to be significantly associated with the death of calves. The present study suggested that the existence of high mortality in small dairy farms might be due to poor farm and calf management. Hence, special emphasis should be given to the amount of colostrum feeding; proper management as the farm size increases and especially care management of the first week age of calves was found important. Moreover, further investigation is suggested to identify the specific causative agents incriminating for calf mortality in dairy farms of the study area.