Prevalnce of calf mortality and associted risk factors in and around Holleta, Ethiopia

Calf mortality remains one of the major challenges limiting dairy productivity and herd replacement efficiency in Ethiopia. Questionnaire based study was conducted in urban and peri-urban dairy farms in and around Holleta town. The objectives of this research were to determine the prevalence calf mortality and potentially associated risk factors to calf mortality. A total of 100 dairy farms and 344 calves were included in the present study. A pre-designed structured questioner was developed, pre-tested and administered through personal interviews to randomly selected farm owners. The overall prevalence of calf mortality was 47.3%. Among the diseases syndromes diarrhea, respiratory disease (coughing), bloating, and trauma were the major complaints by owners. Diarrhea was the most common cause of death with 28.8% incidence rate, followed by bloating (26.2%). Calf mortality was significantly higher (P<0.05) in large-scale dairy farms than smallholder farms. The age at first colostrum feeding was significantly associated to calf mortality (P<0.05). There was also a significant association between calf mortality and frequency of milk feeding (P<0.05). It can be concluded that calf mortality poses a serious constraint to cattle production in and around Holleta by reducing the number of replacement heifers and limiting herd expansion. Delayed colostrum feeding and inadequate milk feeding frequency were significantly associated with increased calf deaths. Therefore, improving colostrum management and feeding practices could substantially reduce calf mortality in the area. Further research is warranted to identify specific infectious and management-related causes of calf mortality.