Effect of evidence-based calf health plan on health outcomes and growth performance in dairy calves

The health and growth performance of pre-weaning dairy calves can be improved through developing and implementing of a good calf health plan. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of applying calf health plan on health outcomes and growth performances of dairy calves in eastern Ethiopia. A randomized control trial study was conducted on 137 calves. The calves were randomly assigned to either intervention or control groups and followed for six months. Survival analysis curve and log-rank test was used to assess the difference between each predictor variables. Cox regression model was employed to see the effect of each predictor with time to disease and death of calves. Linear regression was used to evaluate the impact of calf health plan on the growth performance of calves. Calf morbidity incidence rate in the control and intervention groups were 68 (risk rate of 49.34%) and 35 (risk rate of 29.53%) cases for every 100 calves over a six-month risk period, respectively. The incidence rate (IR) of pre-weaning calf mortality was 22 cases (risk rate of 19.75%) in the control and 11 cases (risk rate of 10.42%) in the intervention groups per 100 calf-six months at risk. Calf morbidity IR was significantly associated with sex, age and ingestion of colostrum within six hours, while treatment group, age, sex and ingestion of colostrum within six hours were factors influencing the mortality of a calf (p < 0.05). The finding highlighted that implementing a calf health plan is crucial for enhancing the health and growth performance of dairy calves.