Study on Occurrence of Calf Mortality and Farm Management Practices in Shashemene City

Ethiopia has the largest livestock in Africa and ranks 10th globally. Among all animals present on a dairy farm, the highest mortality rates generally occur in baby calves. This study aimed to assess the occurrence of calf mortality and associated risk factors in Shashemene town. A c ross-sectional study was conducted from November 2018 to April 2019. A s tructured questionnaire was designed and introduced to the 55 purposely selected dairy farm owners. Various questions focused on calf mortality, management, and health concerns were answered directly by face -to-face interviews with 55 heads of households. Descriptive statistics was used to analyze the association between the risk factors and calf mortality using SPSS version 22. Among the risk variables considered for analysis, Navel treatment (χ2=5.47, P=0.031), Herd size (χ2=10.8, P=0.001), Calf caretaker experience (χ2=9.15, P=0.03), and method of colostrum’s feeding (χ2=10.8, P=0.001), was a significant predictor of calf mortality. In this study , 56.4% calf mortality rates were recorded. In conclusion, calf mortality and management of calves are important components of total herd profitability. It is , therefore, suggested that the creation of awareness among farm owners on the major causes of calf mortality and their respective preventive measures could be of great importance in reducing calf mortality.