Mortality and morbidity in beef calves in Alentejo, Portugal

What is it about?

Results from a survey conducted in 33 beef cattle farms in the Alentejo (Portugal) leed to the assumption of a 5.7% calf mortality rate from birth to weaning. The majority of farms reported cases of calf diarrhea and respiratory disease in the last 12 months, and 82.1% had at least one sudden, unexplained calf death. One-quarter of the farmers were unable to assess the economic impact of calf mortality on the farm’s revenue. Herd size and sudden deaths appear to have a predictive value on calf mortality.

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Why is it important?

This preliminary study is, to the authors' knowledge, the first to report the association between calf mortality and morbidity in free-range beef cattle farms in Portugal. Farms’ management practices probably play an important role in calf mortality throughout the suckling period.

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