Dairy cattle mortality in an organized herd in Bangladesh

Aim: The present study was conducted to find out the causes and factors affecting the dairy cattle mortality. Materials and Methods: A retrospective study of dairy cattle mortality on the Central Cattle Breeding and Dairy Farm (CCBDF) in Bangladesh was carried out between 1992 and 2007. Sixteen years of data on mortality of dairy cattle were analyzed for the effects of year, season, age, sex, breed, and etiology on mortality rate. Results: The average overall mortality rate was 5.60% and on average, female cattle (55.71%) were found to die more than males (44.29%). Mortality was more in crossbred cattle than in indigenous breed. Higher mortality of cattle was observed in rainy season (37.98%) followed by winter (33.03%) and summer (28.99%). The major causes of death were diseases of the respiratory tract, mainly pneumonia (39.91%). Tuberculosis was the second most common cause of mortality accounting for 20.58% of deaths. The other major cause of death was disease of the alimentary tract, mainly enteritis (15.58%). Other causes of death occurred in the following frequencies: malnutrition (5.91%), debility (4.43%), hairball (3.35%), tympanitis (2.56%), babesiosis (2.27%), internal haemorrhage (2.16%), black quarter (1.76%), and foot and mouth disease (1.48%). Conclusions: Of the four potential risk factors investigated, age was the most important factor and significantly associated with mortality. During the first month of life, calves had a higher risk of mortality than adults.