Wubaye Ambachew Motbaynor, Sali Kedir, Ambaw Yihenew Getahun, Shimelis Shihun, Ali Mina, Worku Welelaw Edmew, Kallu Simegnew Adugna
College of Veterinary Medicine, Haramaya University, P. Box 138, Dire Dawa, Ethiopia.
College of Agriculture and Environmental Science, Debre Tabor University, P. Box 272, Debre Tabor, Ethiopia.
Trop Anim Health Prod. 2025 Jul 31;57(7):333. doi: 10.1007/s11250-025-04584-4.
The health and growth performance of pre-weaning dairy calves can be improved through developing and implementing of a good calf health plan. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of applying calf health plan on health outcomes and growth performances of dairy calves in eastern Ethiopia. A randomized control trial study was conducted on 137 calves. The calves were randomly assigned to either intervention or control groups and followed for six months. Survival analysis curve and log-rank test was used to assess the difference between each predictor variables. Cox regression model was employed to see the effect of each predictor with time to disease and death of calves. Linear regression was used to evaluate the impact of calf health plan on the growth performance of calves. Calf morbidity incidence rate in the control and intervention groups were 68 (risk rate of 49.34%) and 35 (risk rate of 29.53%) cases for every 100 calves over a six-month risk period, respectively. The incidence rate (IR) of pre-weaning calf mortality was 22 cases (risk rate of 19.75%) in the control and 11 cases (risk rate of 10.42%) in the intervention groups per 100 calf-six months at risk. Calf morbidity IR was significantly associated with sex, age and ingestion of colostrum within six hours, while treatment group, age, sex and ingestion of colostrum within six hours were factors influencing the mortality of a calf (p < 0.05). The finding highlighted that implementing a calf health plan is crucial for enhancing the health and growth performance of dairy calves.
通过制定和实施良好的犊牛健康计划，可以提高断奶前奶牛犊牛的健康和生长性能。本研究的目的是评估应用犊牛健康计划对埃塞俄比亚东部奶牛犊牛健康状况和生长性能的影响。对137头犊牛进行了一项随机对照试验研究。将犊牛随机分为干预组或对照组，并跟踪六个月。采用生存分析曲线和对数秩检验来评估各预测变量之间的差异。采用Cox回归模型观察各预测因素对犊牛发病和死亡时间的影响。采用线性回归评估犊牛健康计划对犊牛生长性能的影响。在为期六个月的风险期内，对照组和干预组每100头犊牛的发病发病率分别为68例（风险率49.34%）和35例（风险率29.53%）。断奶前犊牛死亡率的发病率（IR）在对照组中为每100头犊牛六个月风险期内22例（风险率19.75%），在干预组中为11例（风险率10.42%）。犊牛发病IR与性别、年龄和六小时内初乳摄入量显著相关，而治疗组、年龄、性别和六小时内初乳摄入量是影响犊牛死亡率的因素（p<0.05）。研究结果突出表明，实施犊牛健康计划对于提高奶牛犊牛的健康和生长性能至关重要。
