Results of herd health management in veal calf production

Luginbühl, A.; Bähler, Corinne; Steiner, Adrian; Kaufmann, Thomas; Schüpbach, Gertraud Irene; Ewy, A. (2012). Results of herd health management in veal calf production. Schweizer Archiv für Tierheilkunde, 154(7), pp. 277-285. Huber 10.1024/0036-7281/a000347

Full text not available from this repository. (Request a copy)

The aim of this study was to document experience gained with herd health management in veal calf production and to describe the calves' most frequent health problems. Fifteen farms with an 'all-in-all-out' animal flow system and 20 farms with a continuous animal flow system were investigated and data on animal movements, housing, feeding, medical treatments, and management were collected. Cadavers underwent pathological examination, and data were recorded from the carcasses of slaughtered calves. On the 15 'all-in-all-out'-farms, 2'747 calves were clinically examined by the contract-veterinarian upon arrival at the farm, and 71,1 % of the calves showed at least one sign of illness. The main causes of death were with 54,9 % digestive disorders (a perforating abomasal ulcer being the most frequent diagnosis), followed by respiratory diseases (29,6 %, mainly pneumonia). The meat color of 25 % of the carcasses was red. Calves from farms with the continuous animal flow system, which recruit mainly animals originating from the same farm, showed significantly better results regarding antibiotic use, performance and carcass quality than those calves from farms with the 'all-in-all-out'-system.

Item Type:	Journal Article (Original Article)
Division/Institute:	05 Veterinary Medicine > Department of Clinical Research and Veterinary Public Health (DCR-VPH) > Veterinary Public Health Institute 05 Veterinary Medicine > Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine (DKV) > Clinic for Ruminants 05 Veterinary Medicine > Research Foci > Veterinary Public Health / Herd Health Management 05 Veterinary Medicine > Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine (DKV) 05 Veterinary Medicine > Department of Clinical Research and Veterinary Public Health (DCR-VPH)
UniBE Contributor:	Bähler, Corinne, Steiner, Adrian, Kaufmann, Thomas (A), Schüpbach-Regula, Gertraud Irene
Subjects:	600 Technology > 630 Agriculture
ISSN:	0036-7281
Publisher:	Huber
Language:	English
Submitter:	Gertraud Irene Regula
Date Deposited:	27 Mar 2014 17:32
Last Modified:	29 Mar 2023 23:33
Publisher DOI:	10.1024/0036-7281/a000347
PubMed ID:	22753251
URI:	https://boris.unibe.ch/id/eprint/40678