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Calf mortality in pure and crossbred Zebu cattle and Murrah buffaloes reared artificially from birth

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

K. N. S. Sharma ,
D. K. Jain  and
D. Noble
K. N. S. Sharma
Affiliation:
National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, Haryana, India
D. K. Jain
Affiliation:
National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, Haryana, India
D. Noble
Affiliation:
National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, Haryana, India
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Summary

Mortality to one year of age was studied in artificially-reared calves of Tharparkar, Sahiwal and Red Sindhi breeds together with Murrah buffaloes and Brown Swiss x Sahiwal and Brown Swiss x Red Sindhi. Data covered 6267 animals over the period 1952–71. There were significant breed differences with the Brown Swiss crosses and buffaloes suffering higher losses than the Zebu breeds. Age effects (0 to 1, 1 to 3, 3 to 6 and 6 to 12 months) showed that losses were greatest in the first month of life and declined thereafter. There were significant year effects but seasons (summer, monsoon and winter) showed no significant effects although a tendency to higher losses in winter did exist. Sex effects showed no differences. Pneumonia was the major cause of loss to 6 months accounting for 30 to 40% of deaths with scours and enteritis being the second most serious factor (15 to 35% of losses).

Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Production , Volume 20 , Issue 2 , April 1975 , pp. 207 - 211
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1975

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