Refining livestock mortality indicators: a systematic review

Background: Livestock mortality impacts farmer livelihoods and household nutrition. Capturing trends in livestock mortality at localised or national levels is essential to planning, monitoring and evaluating interventions and programs aimed at decreasing mortality rates. However, livestock mortality data is disparate, and indicators used have not been standardised. This review aims to assess livestock mortality indicator definitions reported in literature, and define the ages where mortality has greatest impact. Methods: A systematic review was conducted, limited to articles focussed on mortality of cattle, sheep and goats. Peer-reviewed articles in Web of Science until year 2020 were assessed for inclusion of age-based definitions for mortality indicators and data on age distribution of mortality. Indicator definitions for each species were collated and similar terms and age groups most targeted were compared. The cumulative distribution of age at mortality was compared across studies graphically where possible; otherwise, age patterns for mortality were collated. Results: Most studies reported mortality risk rather than rate, and there was little agreement between indicator definitions used in the literature. The most common indicators reported were perinatal and neonatal mortality in cattle, and for perinatal, neonatal and pre-weaning mortality indicators for sheep and goats. Direct comparison of age distribution of mortality was only possible for cattle, which found that approximately 80% of all mortalities within the first 12 months had occurred by six months of age. A significant finding of the study is the variation in age groups for which mortality is reported, which impedes the comparison of mortality risk across studies, particularly for sheep and goats. Conclusions: This study demonstrates the importance and value of standardising mortality risk indicators for general use, including a young stock mortality risk indicator measuring mortality in the highest risk period of birth to six months of age in cattle, sheep and goats.