Mortality in Swedish Dairy Calves and Replacement Heifers

Svensson, C.; Linder, A.; Olsson, Sten‐Erik

doi:10.3168/jds.s0022-0302(06)72526-7

Cited by 156 publications

(140 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…The larger 19 farm study similarly found that 17 out of 489 calves present at 6 months of age had died or had been culled by 15 months (3.5%). Our data support Svensson et al (2006) in concluding that accidents were the main cause of mortality in this age group.…”

Section: Neonatalsupporting

confidence: 87%

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Factors influencing heifer survival and fertility on commercial dairy farms

Wathes

Brickell

Bourne

et al. 2008

Animal

145

114

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The average dairy cow survives only three lactations, reducing the availability of replacement heifers. Prenatal losses occur due to early embryonic mortality (about 40%), later embryo loss (up to 20% in high-yielding herds) or abortion (about 5%). A recent survey of 19 UK herds showed that 7.9% of calves were born dead and 3.4% died within 1 month. During the rearing phase, 6.7% of animals were lost before reaching first service at 15 months due to disease or accident and another 2.3% failed to conceive. Many potential replacements therefore never enter the milking herd. This severely limits opportunities for on-farm selection of breeding cows in addition to presenting a welfare issue and causing economic loss. The most profitable animals once lactation is reached combine good milk production with a regular calving pattern. Some aspects of performance are related to age at first calving (AFC), which in turn is influenced by heifer growth rates. Poorly growing animals required more services to conceive, calved later and subsequently performed badly. Optimum fertility and maximum yield in the first lactation were associated with an AFC of 24 to 25 months. However, heifers calving at 22 to 23 months performed best in terms of total milk yield and survival over the first 5 years, partly because good heifer fertility was associated with better fertility later. We have investigated some possible juvenile predictors of future performance. Low-birth-weight calves were more likely to come from either primiparous mothers or older dams (31 lactations) with higher peak milk yields, suggesting that the uterine environment may limit prenatal calf growth due to competition for nutrients with maternal growth or milk production. Linear trait classification scores for frame size show genetic correlations with longevity. The skeletal measures of height and crown rump length in 1-month-old calves was correlated to subsequent stature, and frame size was correlated to weight at 15 months. It may thus be possible to predict performance from simple size measurements as juveniles. Neither endogenous nor stimulated growth hormone (GH) release in 6-month-old calves were related to milk yield in the first three lactations, but size of a stimulated GH peak was positively related to milk energy values in the first lactation. Cows with delayed ovulation (.45 days) in the first lactation had a higher GH pulse amplitude and lower IGF-I as a juvenile. Cows that partition excess energy into milk in their first lactation may suffer reduced longevity.

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Section: Neonatalsupporting

confidence: 87%

“…Large offspring, maternal overfatness and milk fever can also cause dystocia. Other risk factors for mortality include sire, gestation length, calf gender, twinning, season of birth, herd size and adequacy of calving supervision (Svensson et al, 2006).…”

Section: Perinatalmentioning

confidence: 99%

Factors influencing heifer survival and fertility on commercial dairy farms

Wathes

Brickell

Bourne

et al. 2008

Animal

145

114

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“…It appeared that many risk factors for calf morbidity reported in literature are linked to the housing systems described in this study. Housing systems have also been reported to have an effect on mortality (Svensson et al, 2006b;Gulliksen et al, 2009c). Risk factors are associated to characteristics of housing systems that vary a lot in our study, particularly when it comes to collective rearing at young age.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 65%

“…The search terms were: bovine respiratory disorders, bovine respiratory diseases, bovine respiratory disease complex and/ or neonatal diarrhoea, enteric infectious diseases and dairy calf/calves combined with risk factors. Information relative to hygiene practices (removing litter, disinfection, straw quantity) and air conditioning while being recognised as main risk factors for calf diseases (Svensson et al, 2003 and2006b;Lago et al, 2006) were not investigated through the questionnaire because these practices and data are very different between farms even within the same calf housing system. Finally, a qualitative risk assessment of the different reported calf housing systems for neonatal diarrhoea and BRD complex was performed.…”

Section: Questionnaire Designmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dairy calf housing systems across Europe and risk for calf infectious diseases

Marcé

Guatteo²,

Bareille³

et al. 2010

Animal

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Enteric and respiratory diseases are the most frequent health disorders of calves. They are associated with mortality or lower growth rate and induce treatment costs. Enteric and respiratory pathogens can be transmitted via contacts between calves, which depend on calf housing systems and management. This study aimed at describing the main calf housing systems across Europe and at assessing the consequences of such housing facilities in terms of risk for calf infectious diseases. This was done through the use of a questionnaire distributed to experts in epidemiology and cattle farming systems in each European country. A literature review was performed on the risk factors associated with calf infectious diseases transmission and targeted in the questionnaire. Answers from 14 countries were obtained. A wide range of housing systems were described. However, four main systems could be identified and ranked in ascending order of risk for neonatal diarrhoea and respiratory infectious diseases: individual pen until weaning, individual pen for 4 weeks, individual pen for 2 weeks, and collective pen from the separation of the calf with its dam. Although the housing systems are known to play a role in disease transmission, they are currently not fully described in literature concerning risk factors for calf infectious diseases. In a given farm, the risk assessment for calf infectious diseases should consider classical risk factors such as hygiene, feeding practices and air conditioning, on top of a precise description of the housing system.

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“…Herd-level risk factors e.g herd size, region, predominant breed in the herd, herd milk yield, grazing, proportion of purchased animals have shown to influence dairy cow mortality Burow et al, 2011;Raboisson et al, 2011;Alvåsen et al, 2012). Some examples of animal level risk factors associated with calf and youngstock mortality are breed, gestation length, parity of the dam, dystocia, being born as a twin or triplet, congenital defects, calving season, sex and weight of the calf, respiratory disease, diarrhea and arthritis (Svensson et al, 2006;Gulliksen et al, 2009;Bleul, 2011;Raboisson et al, 2013). Few examples of herd-level risk factors for calf mortality are herd size, characteristics of calving stall, suckling as feeding regimen and housing system from 2 weeks of age (Gulliksen et al, 2009).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reasons and risk factors for on-farm mortality in Estonian dairy herds

et al. 2017

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Mortality of dairy cattle causes financial loss for the farmer and reflects animal welfare status. The aim of this study was to determine the on-farm mortality (unassisted death and euthanasia), reasons, as well as risk factors for on-farm mortality in Estonian dairy cattle. Data of years 2013 and 2014 about all cattle from dairy herds in Estonia was collected from the Estonian Agricultural Registers and Information Board. The dataset included records of 363,380 animals from 2,616 herds. Multivariable Weibull proportional hazard models with herd as random effect were composed for detecting significant associations between potential risk factors and on-farm mortality (composed outcome including unassisted death and euthanasia). Data from Estonian Livestock Performance Recording Ltd was used to determine the reasons for on-farm mortality.The overall mortality rate (MR) including unassisted death and euthanasia was 6.95 per 100 animal-years. Mortality was highest in male (MR = 55.96 per 100 animal-years, 95% CI 54.53; 57.42) and female (MR = 27.70 per 100 animal-years, 95% CI 26.99; 28.43) calves up to three months old and lowest in female cattle aged 12-18 months (MR = 0.99 per 100 animal-years, 95% CI 0.89; 1.10). The main farmers´ stated reasons for dairy cow mortality were 'Metabolic and digestive disorders' and 'Feet/claw disorders'. The main reasons for on-farm mortality among youngstock were 'Metabolic and digestive disorders', 'Respiratory and infectious diseases' and 'Other reasons'. The risk factor analysis was carried out in three age categories: <3 months, 3-23 months and ≥24 months. Estonian Holstein breed was associated with significantly higher risk of mortality compared to Estonian Red breed cattle in every age group. The hazard of on-farm mortality was significantly higher for herds with over 400 animal-years compared to smaller herds in all age groups. Regional differences in mortality hazard were present in the model of youngstock over 3 months and adult cattle. Seasonal differences in mortality rate were present and differed by age groups. This is the first study revealing the on-farm mortality and related risk factors in Estonian dairy cattle population.

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Mortality in Swedish Dairy Calves and Replacement Heifers

Cited by 156 publications

References 24 publications

Factors influencing heifer survival and fertility on commercial dairy farms

Factors influencing heifer survival and fertility on commercial dairy farms

Dairy calf housing systems across Europe and risk for calf infectious diseases

Reasons and risk factors for on-farm mortality in Estonian dairy herds

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