Determinación de factores de riesgo involucrados en diarrea neonatal bovina en fincas lecheras del trópico alto colombiano

Abstract

In order to determine the factors related to the calf, mother and farm management that predispose calves to present bovine neonatal diarrhea (DNB) in the first 5 weeks of life, a longitudinal study was conducted in which 21 dairy farms and mixed production located in the Sabana de Bogota were selected. The variables related to management, nutrition, calving, cow and newborn calf were recorded. Chi-square test (p<0.05) and the logistic regression models (p<0.10) were used as association measure. Calves (n=620) development was followed in the 21 farms, of which 10.3[%] (n=64) presented DNB. It was found that calves from medium and small size farms, using fertilizers different to chemicals, supplementation practices, immunization against neonatal bovine complex, breed of cows and calves different to Holstein, males, weight less than 39 kg or more than 45 kg, use of disinfection products different to iodine, management system after mother separation different to stake system and the use of different feeding methods rather than the use of a bucket, were risk factors causally associated with the presentation of DNB. Factors associated with lower DNB risk were: providing concentrates to calves, vaccination against leptospirosis, bovine respiratory complex and bovine triple vaccine, deworming practices with benzimidazoles in calves and adult animals, cow dry therapy, and technical assistance by a veterinarian and animal husbandry technician.