Calf health from birth to weaning. I. General aspects of disease prevention

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Abstract

Calfhood diseases have a major impact on the economic viability of cattle operations. This is the first in a three part review series on calf health from birth to weaning, focusing on preventive measures. The review considers both pre- and periparturient management factors influencing calf health, colostrum management in beef and dairy calves and further nutrition and weaning in dairy calves.

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Morbidity in Swedish dairy calves from birth to 90 days of age and individual calf-level risk factors for infectious diseases.

Catarina Svensson, Karin Lundborg, Ulf Emanuelson … (2003)

The health of 3081 heifer calves born in 122 dairy herds in the south-west of Sweden from 1 January to 31 December, 1998, was monitored from birth until 90 days of age. The calves were kept either in individual pens (n=2167), in group pens, with 3-8 calves to a pen and manual feeding of milk (n=440), in group pens with 6-30 calves per pen and an automatic milk-feeding system (n=431), or with their dams (n=43). Disease incidence was recorded by farmers and project veterinarians, who clinically examined the calves and auscultated their lungs every 2-3 months. A disease was graded as 'severe' if the general loss of condition or of appetite in the calf continued for >2 days or if the animal suffered severe weight loss due to the disease. The effects of season, breed, housing, and type of colostrum feeding, and time, place and supervision of calving on the incidences of diarrhea, severe diarrhea, respiratory disease, other infectious disease and moderately to severely increased respiratory sounds, were analyzed by logistic-regression models (with herd as a random effect). The total morbidity rate was 0.081 cases per calf-month at risk. Incidence rates of arthritis, diarrhea, omphalophlebitis, respiratory disease and ringworm were 0.002, 0.035, 0.005, 0.025 and 0.009 cases per calf-months at risk, respectively. The odds ratios for diarrhea and severe diarrhea were increased in Swedish Red and Whites (OR: 1.6, 2.3) and in calves that received colostrum from first-lactation cows (OR: 1.3-1.8), and for severe diarrhea in calves born in summer or that received colostrum through suckling (OR: 1.7, 1.8). The odds ratios for respiratory disease and increased respiratory sounds were increased in calves housed in large-group pens with an automatic milk-feeding system (OR: 2.2, 2.8). Supervision of calving was associated with a decreased odds ratio for respiratory disease (OR: 0.7) and birth in individual maternity pen or tie stalls with a decreased odds ratio for increased respiratory sounds (OR: 0.5-0.6). Cross-breeds with beef breeds were associated with increased odds ratios for increased respiratory sounds (OR: 2.1-4.3) and colostrum from second-lactation cows and birth during night for other infectious disease (OR: 1.6, 1.5).

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Production diseases of the transition cow.

Cara M. Doherty, F Steve Mulligan (2008)

Production diseases of the dairy cow are caused by a level of production inconsistent with nutrient intake, provision of an inadequate diet, an unsuitable environment, an inappropriate breeding policy or various combinations of these factors. Although the transition period of 3 weeks pre-calving until 3 weeks post-calving is associated with a peak incidence of production disease, the effects of these diseases on dairy cow health and productivity extend far into the following lactation. Recent advances in understanding of production diseases include the emergence of propylene glycol and rumen protected choline as the supplements of choice for preventing fatty liver and the absence of any preventative effect of increased energy density in the close-up dry period diet on this condition; the linear negative influence of dietary cation anion difference (DCAD) on the incidence of milk fever regardless of urinary pH or the target level of dietary DCAD achieved; the inflammatory response associated with subacute rumen acidosis and its effect on feed intake; an increased awareness of the potential for antioxidant status to improve immunity and health in the transition period; the development of more standardised diagnostic criteria and treatment protocols for uterine infection. A significant body of knowledge already exists which should allow for the optimal management and prevention of bovine production diseases. One of the important challenges facing the dairy industry is the development, implementation and economic assessment of practical, integrated, blueprints of best practice for prevention of the production diseases and other diseases of the dairy cow.

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Prevalence and risk factors for dystocia in dairy cattle: a review.

Christopher Mee (2008)

This review focuses on the case definition of dystocia, its current prevalence and recent temporal trends, the different types of dystocia and their associated risk factors in dairy cattle. The reported dystocia rates in dairy cattle internationally are generally <5%, apart from those in the United States, where they are higher. Given the skewed distribution of herd dystocia rates, average figures mask high prevalence herds. Phenotypic dystocia trends are generally increasing internationally and this trend has been partially attributed to the introduction of Holstein genes. The principal types of dystocia differ between primiparae and pluriparae, with feto-pelvic disproportion (FPD) predominating in the former and fetal malposition in the latter. In order of importance, the two major determinants of FPD are calf birthweight and maternal pelvic size. Abnormal fetal position is most influenced by the number of fetuses, parity and calf sire breed. Adequate weighting of dystocia in selection indices, achievement of heifer rearing targets prior to both service and calving, and appropriate periparturient management decisions are prerequisites for controlling dystocia in dairy cattle.

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Author and article information

Journal

Journal ID (nlm-ta): Ir Vet J

Title: Irish Veterinary Journal

Publisher: BioMed Central

ISSN (Print): 0368-0762

ISSN (Electronic): 2046-0481

Publication date Collection: 2011

Publication date (Electronic): 16 September 2011

Volume: 64

Issue: 1

Page: 10

Affiliations

[1 ]Herd Health and Animal Husbandry, UCD School of Agriculture, Food Science and Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland

[2 ]Animal and Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Teagasc Moorepark, Fermoy, Co. Cork, Ireland

[3 ]Animal and Bioscience Research Department, Teagasc, Animal and Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Grange, Dunsany, Co. Meath, Ireland

[4 ]Centre for Veterinary Epidemiology and Risk Analysis, UCD School of Agriculture, Food Science and Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland

Article

Publisher ID: 2046-0481-64-10

DOI: 10.1186/2046-0481-64-10

PMC ID: 3184620

PubMed ID: 21923898

SO-VID: 4beed588-3111-4549-8e07-10a5f41bda9a

License:

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

History

Date received : 12 July 2011

Date accepted : 16 September 2011

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Calf health from birth to weaning. I. General aspects of disease prevention

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Most cited references 72

Morbidity in Swedish dairy calves from birth to 90 days of age and individual calf-level risk factors for infectious diseases.

Production diseases of the transition cow.

Prevalence and risk factors for dystocia in dairy cattle: a review.

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Cited by 38

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