Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-dzt6s Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-28T00:14:03.571Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Mortality in Holstein-Friesian calves and replacement heifers, in relation to body weight and IGF-I concentration, on 19 farms in England

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 August 2009

J. S. Brickell ,
M. M. McGowan ,
D. U. Pfeiffer  and
D. C. Wathes
J. S. Brickell*
Affiliation:
Royal Veterinary College, Hawkshead Lane, North Mymms, Hatfield, Herts AL9 7TA, UK
M. M. McGowan
Affiliation:
School of Veterinary Science, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
D. U. Pfeiffer
Affiliation:
Royal Veterinary College, Hawkshead Lane, North Mymms, Hatfield, Herts AL9 7TA, UK
D. C. Wathes
Affiliation:
Royal Veterinary College, Hawkshead Lane, North Mymms, Hatfield, Herts AL9 7TA, UK
*
†E-mail: [email protected]
Get access

Abstract

The incidence of mortality and culling in Holstein-Friesian heifers from birth through first calving was determined on 19 dairy farms selected from across southern England. The outcome of 1097 calvings was determined. Size (BW, heart girth, crown–rump length and height at withers) and insulin-like growth factor-I concentration of live heifer calves were measured at a mean age of 26 ± 0.7 days (n = 506). Associations between the heifer-level variables and mortality were determined using clustered binary logistic regression. Perinatal mortality (stillbirths and mortality within the first 24 h of birth) of male and female calves was 7.9%. This figure was significantly higher in cases where calving assistance was required (19.1% v. 5.6%, P < 0.001) and in twin births (18.5% v. 7.0%, P < 0.05), and was lower in pluriparous v. primiparous dams (5.6% v. 12.1%, P < 0.01). On average, 6.8% of heifers died or were culled between 1 day and 6 months of age. Low BW at 1 month was associated with reduced subsequent survival up to 6 months. Between 6 months and first calving, a further 7.7% of heifers either died (42%) or were culled (58%); accidents and infectious disease accounted for the majority of calf deaths between 6 and 15 months, whereas infertility (16/450 animals served, 3.5%) was the main reason for culling following the start of the first breeding period. In total, 11 heifers (2.2%) were culled as freemartins; eight at birth and three around service. Overall, 14.5% of liveborn potential replacement heifers died or were culled before first calving.

Keywords

calfmortalityinsulin-like growth factor-Ibody weight
Type
Full Paper
Information
animal , Volume 3 , Issue 8 , August 2009 , pp. 1175 - 1182
Copyright
Copyright © The Animal Consortium 2009

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Abeni, F, Calamari, L, Stefanini, L, Pirlo, G 2000. Effects of daily gain in pre- and postpubertal replacement dairy heifers on body condition score, body size, metabolic profile, and future milk production. Journal of Dairy Science 83, 1468–1478.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Berglund, B, Steinbock, L, Elvander, M 2003. Causes of stillbirth and time of death in Swedish Holstein calves examined post mortem. Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica 44, 111–120.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Blum, JW, Hammon, H 1999. Endocrine and metabolic aspects in milk-fed calves. Domestic Animal Endocrinology 17, 219–230.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Blum, JW, Schnyder, W, Kunz, PL, Blom, AK, Bickel, H, Schurch, A 1985. Reduced and compensatory growth: endocrine and metabolic changes during food restriction and refeeding in steers. The Journal of Nutrition 115, 417–424.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Brickell, JS, McGowan, MM, Wathes, DC 2009. Effect of management factors and blood metabolites during the rearing period on growth in dairy heifers on UK farms. Domestic Animal Endocrinology 36, 67–81.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Brown, EG, Vandehaar, MJ, Daniels, KM, Liesman, JS, Chapin, LT, Keisler, DH, Nielsen, MS 2005. Effect of increasing energy and protein intake on body growth and carcass composition of heifer calves. Journal of Dairy Science 88, 585–594.Google ScholarPubMed
Carson, AF, Dawson, LER, McCoy, MA, Kilpatrick, DJ, Gordon, FJ 2002. Effects of rearing regime on body size, reproductive performance and milk production during the first lactation in high genetic merit dairy herd replacements. Animal Science 74, 553–565.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Esslemont, RJ, Kossaibati, MA 1996. Incidence of production diseases and other health problems in a group of dairy herds in England. The Veterinary Record 139, 486–490.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Esslemont, RJ, Kossaibati, MA 1997. The cost of respiratory diseases in dairy heifer calves. The Bovine Practitioner 33, 174–178.Google Scholar
Foote, MR, Nonnecke, BJ, Waters, WR, Palmer, MV, Beitz, DC, Fowler, MA, Miller, BL, Johnson, TE, Perry, HB 2005. Effects of increased dietary protein and energy on composition and functional capacities of blood mononuclear cells from vaccinated, neonatal calves. International Journal for Vitamin and Nutrition Research 75, 357–368.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fox, CJ, Hammerman, PS, Thompson, CB 2005. Fuel feeds function: energy metabolism and the T-cell response. Nature Reviews Immunology 5, 844–852.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Greenwood, P, Hunt, A, Slepetis, R, Finnerty, K, Alston, C, Beermann, D, Bell, A 2002. Effects of birth weight and postnatal nutrition on neonatal sheep: III. Regulation of energy metabolism. Journal of Animal Science 80, 2850–2861.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Heinrichs, AJ, Radostits, OM 2001. Health and production management of dairy calves and replacement heifers. In Herd health: food animal production medicine, vol. 9, 3rd edition (ed. OM Radostits), pp. 333–395. WB Saunders Company, Philadelphia, USA.Google Scholar
Johanson, JM, Berger, PJ 2003. Birth weight as a predictor of calving ease and perinatal mortality in Holstein cattle. Journal of Dairy Science 86, 3745–3755.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kerr, D, Laarveld, B, Fehr, M, Manns, J 1991. Profiles of serum IGF-I concentrations in calves from birth to eighteen months of age and in cows throughout the lactation cycle. Canadian Journal of Animal Science 71, 695–705.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kossaibati, MA, Esslemont, RJ 1997. The costs of production diseases in dairy herds in England. The Veterinary Journal 154, 41–51.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lawrence, AB, Dwyer, CM, Jarvis, S, Roberts, D 2005. Welfare implications of dairy calf and heifer rearing. In Calf and heifer rearing: principles of rearing the modern dairy heifer from calf to calving (ed. PC Garnsworthy), pp. 197–212. Nottingham University Press, Nottingham, UK.Google Scholar
Lombard, JE, Garry, FB, Tomlinson, SM, Garber, LP 2007. Impacts of dystocia on health and survival of dairy calves. Journal of Dairy Science 90, 1751–1760.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McGuire, MA, Vicini, JL, Bauman, DE, Veenhuizen, JJ 1992. Insulin-like growth factors and binding proteins in ruminants and their nutritional regulation. Journal of Animal Science 70, 2901–2910.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Meyer, CL, Berger, PJ, Koehler, KJ, Thompson, JR, Sattler, CG 2001. Phenotypic trends in incidence of stillbirth for Holsteins in the United States. Journal of Dairy Science 84, 515–523.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ortiz-Pelaez, A, Pritchard, DG, Pfeiffer, DU, Jones, E, Honeyman, P, Mawdsley, JJ 2008. Calf mortality as a welfare indicator on British cattle farms. The Veterinary Journal 176, 177–181.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Quigley, JD, Wolfe, TA, Elsasser, TH 2006. Effects of additional milk replacer feeding on calf health, growth, and selected blood metabolites in calves. Journal of Dairy Science 89, 207–216.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Radcliff, RP, VandeHaar, MJ, Kobayashi, Y, Sharma, BK, Tucker, HA, Lucy, MC 2004. Effect of dietary energy and somatotropin on components of the somatotropic axis in Holstein heifers. Journal of Dairy Science 87, 1229–1235.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Roy, JHB 1990. The calf. Vol. 1. Management of health, pp. 1–258. Butterworths, Boston, MA, USA.Google Scholar
Silva del Rio, N, Stewart, S, Rapnicki, P, Chang, YM, Fricke, PM 2007. An observational analysis of twin births, calf sex ratio, and calf mortality in Holstein dairy cattle. Journal of Dairy Science 90, 1255–1264.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sivula, N, Ames, TR, Marsh, W 1996. Management practices and risk factors for morbidity and mortality in Minnesota dairy heifer calves. Preventive Veterinary Medicine 27, 173–182.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Smith, JM, Van Amburgh, ME, Diaz, MC, Lucy, MC, Bauman, DE 2002. Effect of nutrient intake on the development of the somatotropic axis and its responsiveness to GH in Holstein bull calves. Journal of Animal Science 80, 1528–1537.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Speicher, JA, Hepp, RE 1973. Factors associated with calf mortality in Michigan dairy herds. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 162, 463–466.Google ScholarPubMed
Svensson, C, Linder, A, Olsson, SO 2006. Mortality in Swedish dairy calves and replacement heifers. Journal of Dairy Science 89, 4769–4777.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Swali, A, Wathes, DC 2007. Influence of primiparity on size at birth, growth, the somatotrophic axis and fertility in dairy heifers. Animal Reproduction Science 102, 122–136.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Taylor, VJ, Beever, DE, Bryant, MJ, Wathes, DC 2003. Metabolic profiles and progesterone cycles in first lactation dairy cows. Theriogenology 59, 1661–1677.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Taylor, VJ, Beever, DE, Bryant, MJ, Wathes, DC 2004. First lactation ovarian function in dairy heifers in relation to prepubertal metabolic profiles. Journal of Endocrinology 180, 63–75.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Thissen, JP, Ketelslegers, JM, Underwood, LE 1994. Nutritional regulation of the insulin-like growth factors. Endocrine Reviews 15, 80–101.Google ScholarPubMed
Vicari, T, van den Borne, JJGC, Gerrits, WJJ, Zbinden, Y, Blum, JW 2008. Postprandial blood hormone and metabolite concentrations influenced by feeding frequency and feeding level in veal calves. Domestic Animal Endocrinology 34, 74–88.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Waltner-Toews, D, Martin, SW, Meek, AH 1986. Dairy calf management, morbidity and mortality in Ontario Holstein herds. IV. Association of management with mortality. Preventive Veterinary Medicine 4, 159–171.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wathes, DC, Bourne, N, Cheng, Z, Mann, GE, Taylor, VJ, Coffey, MP 2007. Multiple correlation analyses of metabolic and endocrine profiles with fertility in primiparous and pluriparous cows. Journal of Dairy Science 90, 1310–1325.CrossRefGoogle Scholar