Abstract
Extensive cow-calf beef cattle farms play a significant role in Portuguese livestock production, but records of important production variables, such as calf mortality, are scarce. To assess herd-level calf mortality and its potential economic impact, farmers from the Alentejo region were asked to fill a questionnaire regarding herd size, feeding and reproductive management practices, calf mortality (from birth to weaning), and detection of the main morbidity causes, as well as of sudden, unexplained deaths during the previous 12 months. Farmers were also requested to quantitatively assess the economic impact of calf mortality on their annual revenue. In the majority of farms, the herd size was larger than 100 animals. The median stocking rate was 0.41 adult animals/hectare, and 70% of farmers stated their farm was self-sufficient in forage. The percent of live births that resulted in weaned calves averaged 94.3%, which led to the assumption of a 5.7% calf mortality rate from birth to weaning. In the previous 12 months, 78.8% of the farms identified at least one case of calf diarrhea, 60.7% identified at least one case of respiratory disease, and 82.1% had at least one sudden, unexplained calf death. As expected, farmers that assessed a higher impact of calf losses on their annual economic revenue were also those who reported higher incidences of calf diarrhea, respiratory disease, and sudden, unexplained deaths. One-quarter of the farmers were unable to assess the economic impact of calf mortality on the farm's revenue. Herd size appears to have a predictive value on calf mortality in the first month of life, and from 30 days to weaning. The number of sudden, unexplained calf deaths seems to have a predictive value on overall calf mortality (from birth to weaning), suggesting that the farms' management practices probably play an important role in calf mortality throughout the suckling period. Further studies are needed to fully understand calf mortality in Portuguese extensive rearing systems.
Highlights
According to the o cial economic accounts for agriculture in 2016, the value of livestock production in Portugal was 2630.9 million Euros, corresponding to 37.9% of the total value of agricultural production
Beef cattle farms are mainly located in the south of the country, the Alentejo region, which holds over 65% of the grassland area and around 42% of the cattle stock in Portugal [2]. ese cattle are mostly bred in extensive cow-calf production systems, wherein the farmers’ revenue is highly dependent on productive e ciency, which is aimed at obtaining one calf per cow, per year. is goal relies mainly on adequate breeding strategies and herd health management, with the latter having a signi cant e ect on preweaning calf mortality and morbidity
The results seem to suggest that mortality and morbidity levels in extensive cow-calf beef herds in the Alentejo region are high, with potentially serious impacts on both animal welfare and farm sustainability. In this preliminary study on extensive beef cattle farms in Alentejo, Portugal, the reported calf mortality rates were higher than those reported in similar studies in other parts of the world. e number of cases of diarrhea, respiratory disease, and sudden death was comparatively high. is can potentially mean that there are health and welfare issues that need improvement; the results should be interpreted cautiously, taking into consideration the small number of farms included in the study
Summary
According to the o cial economic accounts for agriculture in 2016, the value of livestock production in Portugal was 2630.9 million Euros, corresponding to 37.9% of the total value of agricultural production. Beef cattle farms are mainly located in the south of the country, the Alentejo region, which holds over 65% of the grassland area and around 42% of the cattle stock in Portugal [2]. Ese cattle are mostly bred in extensive cow-calf production systems, wherein the farmers’ revenue is highly dependent on productive e ciency, which is aimed at obtaining one calf per cow, per year. Is goal relies mainly on adequate breeding strategies and herd health management, with the latter having a signi cant e ect on preweaning calf mortality and morbidity. Calf production is the Veterinary Medicine International main goal of beef cattle farming, for raising, fattening, and selling cattle, and rearing replacement heifers to be included in the breeding herd. Loss of young stock due to on-farm mortality is a serious concern a ecting the pro tability of beef production farms [3]
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