Incidence and Predictors of Calf Morbidity and Mortality From Birth to 6-Months of Age in Dairy Farms of Northwestern Ethiopia

Abstract

The Ethiopian government has initiatives for expanding the commercial and smallholder market-oriented urban and peri-urban dairy production systems to meet the demands for dairy products. However, there have been only limited on-farm studies on the health performance of commercial dairy breeds. The aim of this longitudinal study was to quantify the incidence and identify predictors of calf morbidity and mortality from birth to 6 months of age in urban and peri-urban dairy farms of Northwest Ethiopia. A total of 439 calves aged below 6 months from 174 dairy farms were included in the study. We collected data on 35 potential risk factors to determine their effect on calf morbidity and mortality in the area. Kaplan–Meier survival analysis was used to summarize survival probability. The Cox proportional hazard regression model with shared frailty to account for unmeasured herd-specific heterogeneity was also used to identify and quantify factors associated with time to morbidity and mortality. Among 439 calves enrolled for 6 months of follow-up period, a total of 141 morbidities and 54 mortality events were recorded. This gives an overall morbidity and mortality incidence rates of 64 per 100-calf 6-months at risk (risk rate of 47.3%) and 19 per 100-calf 6-months at risk (risk rate of 17.9%), respectively. Diarrhea was the most frequent calf health problem with a risk rate of 25.2%. It was the cause of death for 33.3% of all the 54 calf deaths. Next to diarrhea, pneumonia ranked second with risk rate of 8.6% and was responsible for death of 12.9% of all the 54 calf deaths. Among 35 potential risk factors, calf age, vigor status at birth, calf breed, colostrum ingestion, and herd size were significant (p < 0.05) predictors of calf morbidity and mortality. The Cox-shared frailty model revealed that the herd frailty component had no significant effect on hazard estimates of the covariates of all-cause morbidity and mortality. This implies that the dairy herds participated in the study were homogeneous in the distribution of unmeasured random effects. In conclusion, the magnitude of calf morbidity and mortality was higher and above economically tolerable level in this study. This could impede the success of Ethiopia's dairy development initiative in general, and the livelihood of smallholder dairy producers in particular. Therefore, educating farmers aimed at mitigating the identified risk factors can reduce calf morbidity and mortality in the study areas.

Dairy farmer’s perception on feeding, conservation, and constraints of brewery by-products utilization in selected districts of Ethiopia

“…The average herd size found in this study is higher than that reported by Ref. [ 14 ] in Dilla district, Gedio zone, but, it is smaller than the report of [ 17 ] in Bahirdar district, Ethiopia. In this finding, age at first service of the heifer was longer than Boran-Fresian heifers as reported by Ref.…”

Crossbred calf rearing method, pre-weaning morbidity and mortality in urban and periurban dairy production systems of Dangila district, Ethiopia

“…Similarly, the current study contradicted with the findings of Awol et al (2016) in Dessie town and its environs, where calf diarrhea (44%) was the leading cause of calf loss, followed by pneumonia (28%). In contrast to the current study, Yeshwas et al (2022) reported that the most common calf health problems on dairy farms in Northwestern Ethiopia are diarrhea and pneumonia.…”

“…The disease risk factors identified in the studied dairy farms from the study reported by Konjit et al (2013) in Mekelle where farming system, age at first colostrum feeding, ventilation, and calf treatment were significantly associated with calve health problems. Yeshwas et al (2022) reported that calf age, vigor status at birth, calf breed, colostrum ingestion, and herd size are predictors of calf morbidity on Northwestern Ethiopian dairy farms. Poor ventilation, poor barn cleanliness and bedding management, humidity, dampness, overcrowding, and a lack of regular cleaning and disinfection all contribute to a high number of aerosolized organisms, noxious gases, and other contaminants in calf houses, leading to high calf morbidity (Wudu et al 2008).…”

Multidrug-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Strains Thrive in Dairy and Beef Production, Processing, and Supply Lines in Five Geographical Areas in Ethiopia

“…This is of particular concern in Ethiopia since suitable factors exist for pathogen buildup in animals to subsequently disseminate to humans. The potential drivers of their transmission can be the substandard management of livestock in Ethiopia [ 25 ], the ubiquitous presence of animal feces over space [ 26 ], substandard abattoir management practices [ 19 , 27 , 28 ], and the habit of raw meat consumption [ 27 ]. The whole food supply chain, from farm to fork, is at risk of foodborne contamination in the absence of strong monitoring, surveillance, regulations, and general hygienic practices [ 28 , 29 ].…”