Risk factors associated with mortality at a milk-fed veal calf facility: A prospective cohort study
| Autor: | S. Ferguson, D.B. Haley, David L. Renaud, David Kelton, Stephen J. LeBlanc, T.F. Duffield |
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| Rok vydání: | 2017 |
| Předmět: |
Male
Meat 040301 veterinary sciences media_common.quotation_subject Health Status Cattle Diseases Body weight Animal Welfare 0403 veterinary science Abnormal navel Risk Factors Animal welfare Genetics Medicine Animals Food Industry Prospective Studies Animal Husbandry Prospective cohort study media_common Proportional Hazards Models Ontario Proportional hazards model business.industry Body Weight 0402 animal and dairy science 04 agricultural and veterinary sciences Animal husbandry 040201 dairy & animal science Animal Science and Zoology Calf mortality Cattle Seasons business Welfare Food Science Demography |
| Zdroj: | Journal of dairy science. 101(3) |
| ISSN: | 1525-3198 |
| Popis: | The veal industry experiences calf losses during the growing period, which represents a challenge to animal welfare and profitability. Health status at arrival may be an important predictor of calf mortality. The objectives of this prospective cohort study were to describe the health status of calves arriving at a veal farm and determine the risk factors associated with early and late mortality. Using a standardized health scoring system, calves were evaluated immediately at arrival to a commercial milk-fed veal facility in Ontario, Canada. Weight at arrival and supplier of the calf were recorded. The calves were followed until death or the end of their production cycle. Two Cox proportional hazard models were built to explore factors associated with early (≤21 d following arrival) and late mortality (>21 d following arrival). A total of 4,825 calves were evaluated from November 2015 to September 2016. The overall mortality risk was 7%, with 42% of the deaths occurring in the first 21 d after arrival. An abnormal navel, dehydration, housing location within the farm, arriving in the summer, and the presence of a sunken flank were associated with increased hazard of early mortality. Drover-derived calves and calves with a greater body weight at arrival had lower hazard of early mortality. Housing location within the farm, being derived from auction facilities, and an abnormal navel were associated with higher hazard of late mortality. These results demonstrate that risk factors for mortality can be identified at arrival, which represents a potential opportunity to selectively intervene on these calves to reduce mortality. However, methods of preventing the development of these conditions before arrival need to be explored and encouraged to improve the welfare of the calves entering the veal industry. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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