Factors Affecting Calf Mortality Rate in Elneshasheba Dairy Farm in Wad Medani, Gezira State, Sudan
Keywords:
Calves, mortality rate, parity, dairy farm, SudanAbstract
Calves mortality rate and factors affecting it were studied in Elneshasheba Dairy Farm in the Gezira (Sudan) from 1986 to 1988. There were variations in calf mortality rate between years. It increased with increasing birth weight to a peak between 20 and 30kg (60-71%) and then declined. Mortality rate was generally higher in males (50.69%) than females (31-50%). It was generally higher before calves were 42 days old (23-59%) and then declined. It was generally higher in the first parity (19-30%) and then declined and was almost zero in the 10th parity. Mortality rate was higher for calves born in January (48-68%) followed by February (21-30%) and then March (0.0-13%) and then declined. Most calves died from more than one disease with variations among years in diseases leading to death. The most important diseases causing mortality were pneumonia, theileriosis, diarrheas and coccidiosis.References
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