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ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #124563
Title: PRODUCTION AND FINANCIAL LOSSES ASSOCIATED WITH PRE-WEANING DISEASE IN BEEF CATTLE

Author
item DEWELL, GRANT - UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA
item HUNGERFORD, LAURA - UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA
item DEWELL, RENEE - UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA
item Laegreid, William

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/21/2001
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Year 2000 production and herd health records of 1470 crossbred beef calves at the USDA's Meat Animal Research Center were examined to determine the long-term effects of calf-hood morbidity. Disease incidence was low in this herd with four cases of neonatal diarrhea, five septicemias, eight umbilical infections, nine cases of pinkeye, 21 cases of foot rot, and 83 cases of pneumonia. Only pneumonia had sufficient power to derive significant differences. In the medium weight calves, 44 occurrences of pneumonia resulted in an average loss of 20.69 pounds (p=0.023) per calf at weaning. The heavy weaning weight group developed 36 cases of pneumonia and a corresponding average loss of 24.28 pounds (p=0.016) per affected calf at weaning. The cost of pre-weaning pneumonia was calculated using an average treatment cost ($6.02), average calf price ($0.83/lb), morbidity rate (5.6%), case fatality rate (6.0%), and the medium weight calf loss (20.69 lbs). The cost per case was $6.02 (treatment), $17.17 (weight loss and $27.27 (percentage death loss) for a total cost of $50.46, not including labor. More importantly, this equates to a $2.83 per calf cost for pneumonia, which can be used to determine the value of a preventive health program.