Journal article
Use of Serum Protein Concentration to Predict Mortality in Mixed‐Source Dairy Replacement Heifers
Journal of veterinary internal medicine, Vol.12(2), pp.79-83
03/1998
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/102637
PMID: 9560763
Abstract
The relationship between serum protein concentration in the 1st week of life and survival to 16 weeks of age was examined in 3,479 Holstein replacement heifers over a period of 10 years on a farm with endemic salmonellosis. Thirty‐four percent of calves studied had serum protein concentrations <5.0 g/dL and 60.5% of calves had serum protein concentrations <5.5 g/dL. Cumulative mortality was 7.9%, indicating that calves with marginal passive transfer status can be reared successfully under conditions of endemic salmonellosis. Optimal survival was observed in calves with serum protein concentrations >5.5 g/dL. Calves with serum protein concentrations of 5.0–5.4 g/dL had only a slightly increased relative risk (RR) of mortality (RR = 1.3) compared to calves with serum protein concentrations >5.5 g/dL. The highest RR was experienced by calves with serum protein concentrations <4 g/dL (RR = 4.6) and 4.0–4.4 g/dL (RR = 3.1). Calves with inadequate passive transfer (serum protein concentration <5.0 g/dL), experienced increased mortality until at least 10 weeks of age, indicating that failure of passive transfer has an effect on calf health that extends into the juvenile period. Models in which serum protein concentration was treated either as a continuous variable or as a categorical variable failed to demonstrate any significant interaction between baseline mortality and the RR of mortality. This finding suggests that the RR derived in the present study should be applicable to farms with dramatically different baseline mortality rates.
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Details
- Title
- Use of Serum Protein Concentration to Predict Mortality in Mixed‐Source Dairy Replacement Heifers
- Creators
- Jeff W TylerDale D HancockSteve E WiksieSusan L HollerJohn M GayClive C Gay
- Publication Details
- Journal of veterinary internal medicine, Vol.12(2), pp.79-83
- Academic Unit
- Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Department of
- Publisher
- Blackwell Publishing Ltd; Oxford, UK
- Number of pages
- 5
- Identifiers
- 99900546698201842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article