Cost of pneumonia in dairy calves lodged under two housing systems

Abstract

COSTS GENERATED BY PNEUMONIAS IN CALVES RAISED IN TWO DAIRIES IN TIJUANA, BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO, WERE ASSESSED DURING A ONE YEAR PERIOD. CALVES WERE HOUSED EITHER IN METAL CRATES LOCATED INSIDE A BUILDING (DAIRY 1) OR IN WOODEN PENS OUTDOORS (DAIRY 2). LOSSES BROUGHT ABOUT BY THE DISEASE WERE CALCULATED AS DIRECT AND INDIRECT COSTS. DIRECT COSTS INCLUDED: FATALITIES, DISCARDS, TREATMENTS AND ADDITIONAL LABOR. INDIRECT COSTS INCLUDED: VACCINATIONS AND PREVENTIVE TREATMENTS. ALTHOUGH PNEUMONIA RELATED MORTALITY WAS RELATIVELY LOW IN BOTH DAIRIES (4.7% IN DAIRY 1 AND 1.1% IN DAIRY 2), THE PREVALENCE OF THE DISEASE WAS VERY HIGH IN DAIRY 1 (39.9%), WHEREAS IN DAIRY 2 WAS LOWER (19.7%). IN DAIRY 1, ON AVERAGE, A TOTAL OF 4.93 DAYS OF TREATMENT WERE GIVEN PER CALF BORN, WHEREAS IN DAIRY 2 ONLY 2.06 DAYS OF TREATMENT WERE APPLIED (P < 0.05). THE DIRECT AND INDIRECT COSTS OF THIS TYPE OF DISEASE PER CALF BORN WERE, RESPECTIVELY, IN DAIRY 1: 501.41 PESOS (52.78 US DL) AND 301.07 PESOS (31.70 US DL), WHEREAS IN DAIRY 2 WERE: 83.25 PESOS (8.75 US DL) AND 235.12 PESOS (24.75 US DL).