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Calf mortality in Norwegian dairy herds
S M Gulliksen1, K I Lie, T Løken
1Department of Production Animal Clinical Sciences, Norwegian School of Veterinary Science, Oslo, Norway. stine.gulliksen@veths.no
Journal of Dairy Science
|May 19, 2009
Summary
Norwegian dairy calf mortality is 7.8%, with stillbirths and respiratory disease being major risks. Identifying risk factors like calving difficulty and housing conditions is crucial for improving calf survival rates.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Epidemiology
- Animal Science
- Dairy Herd Management
Background:
- Calf mortality significantly impacts dairy herd productivity and economics.
- Understanding risk factors and causes of mortality is essential for targeted interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To estimate mortality rates in Norwegian dairy calves up to one year of age.
- To identify key risk factors associated with calf mortality.
- To determine the primary causes of calf mortality through postmortem analysis.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the Norwegian Dairy Herd Recording System (NDHRS) and a calf health survey.
- Analyzed mortality data from 289,038 offspring across 14,474 herds.
- Conducted postmortem examinations on 65 calves from survey herds.
Main Results:
- Overall calf mortality rate was 7.8% (including 3.4% stillbirths).
- Severe calving difficulties (OR=38.7) and multiple births (OR=4.2-46.3) significantly increased stillbirth risk.
- Respiratory disease (HR=5.6-7.4) and diarrhea (HR=2.4-2.9) were major causes of death in different age groups.
- Winter births, larger herd sizes, and group housing from two weeks of age increased mortality risk.
Conclusions:
- Calving ease, birth type, and season influence stillbirth rates.
- Respiratory diseases and diarrhea are primary causes of calf mortality.
- Herd size, housing management, and season are significant environmental risk factors affecting calf survival.
