Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-xbtfd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-11T06:36:42.315Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

The impact of BRD: the current dairy experience

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 October 2014

Walter M. Guterbock*
Affiliation:
Sixmile Land and Cattle, LLC, Anacortes, Washington, USA
*
*Corresponding author. E-mail: wmguterbock@earthlink.net

Abstract

The primary source of data on bovine respiratory disease (BRD) prevalence in US adult dairy cattle is producer surveys, which estimate that 2.4–2.9% of cattle are affected. This estimate appears low when compared to calculations based on limited data regarding on-farm deaths due to BRD and the number of carcasses at slaughter with severe BRD. These calculations indicate that approximately 3% of dairy cows die on farm or go to slaughter with severe BRD. Not included in these data are cows that are treated for BRD and retained. The primary manifestation of BRD on dairy farms is in calves. Nationwide surveys have estimated that 12.4–16.4% of preweaned dairy heifer calves are affected with BRD, and 5.9–11% of calves are affected after weaning. More detailed prevalence studies have generally included a limited number of small farms, with limited calf age range studied. All studies relied on producer diagnosis. Prevalence in these studies ranged from 0 to 52%, with many cases occurring before weaning, and with BRD being associated with increased calf death rates. BRD affects heifer growth. It appears to have a small effect on age at first calving, and some studies have shown small effects on performance and herd life after calving. First lactation performance of heifers depends on many factors that can obscure the effects of calfhood BRD.

Type
Review Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2014 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Bach, A. (2011). Associations between several aspects of heifer development and dairy cow survivability to second lactation. Journal of Dairy Science 94: 10521067.Google Scholar
Curtis, CR, Erb, HN and White, ME (1988). Descriptive epidemiology of calfhood morbidity and mortality in New York Holstein herds. Preventive Veterinary Medicine 5: 293307.Google Scholar
Donovan, GA, Dohoo, IR, Montgomery, DM and Bennett, FL (1998a). Calf and disease factors affecting growth in female Holstein calves in Florida, USA. Preventive Veterinary Medicine 33: 110.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Donovan, GA, Dohoo, IR, Montgomery, DM and Bennett, FL (1998b). Associations between passive immunity and morbidity and mortality in dairy heifers in Florida, USA. Preventive Veterinary Medicine 34: 3146.Google Scholar
Flöck, M (2004). Diagnostic ultrasonography in cattle with thoracic disease. The Veterinary Journal 167: 272280.Google Scholar
Heinrichs, AJ and Heinrichs, BS (2011). A prospective study of calf factors affecting first-lactation and lifetime milk production and age of cows when removed from the herd. Journal of Dairy Science 94: 336341.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lago, A, McGuirk, SM, Bennett, TB, Cook, NB and Nordlund, KV (2006). Calf respiratory disease and pen microenvironments in naturally ventilated calf barns in winter. Journal of Dairy Science 89: 40144025.Google Scholar
Lundborg, GK, Svensson, EC and Oltenacu, PA (2005). Herd-level risk factors for infectious diseases in Swedish dairy calves aged 0–90 days. Preventive Veterinary Medicine 68: 123143.Google Scholar
McConnel, CS, Garry, FB, Lombard, JE, Kidd, JA, Hill, AE and Gould, DH (2009). A necropsy-based descriptive study of dairy cow deaths on a Colorado dairy. Journal of Dairy Science. 92: 19541962.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rebhun, WC (1995). Diseases of Dairy Cattle. Baltimore: Williams and Wilkins, pp. 7190.Google Scholar
Rezac, DJ, Thomson, DU, Siemens, MG, Prouty, FL, Reinhardt, CD and Bartle, SJ (2014). A survey of gross pathologic conditions in cull cows at slaughter in the Great Lakes region of the United States. Journal of Dairy Science. 97: 42274235.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rossini, K (2004). Effects of calfhood respiratory and digestive disease on calfhood morbidity and first lactation production and survival rates. MS Thesis, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA.Google Scholar
Sivula, NF, Ames, TR, Marsh, WE and Werdin, RE (1996). Descriptive epidemiology of morbidity and mortality in Minnesota dairy heifer calves. Preventive Veterinary Medicine 27: 155171.Google Scholar
Stanton, AL, Kelton, DF, LeBlanc, SJ, Millman, ST, Wormuth, J, Dingwell, RT and Lelsie, KE (2010). The effect of treatment with long-acting antibiotic at postweaning movement on respiratory disease and on growth in commercial dairy calves. Journal of Dairy Science 93: 574581.Google Scholar
Stanton, AL, Kelton, DF, LeBlanc, SJ, Wormuth, J and Leslie, KE (2012). The effect of respiratory disease and a preventative antibiotic treatment on growth, survival, age at first calving, and milk production of dairy heifers. Journal of Dairy Science 95: 49504960.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Food Animal Production Medicine (2012). Calf health scoring chart. [Available online at: http://www.vetmed.wisc.edu/dms/fapm/fapmtools/8calf/calf_health_scoring_chart.pdf]. Last accessed August 24, 2014.Google Scholar
USDA (2002). Part I: Reference of Dairy Health and Management in the United States, 2002 USDA:APHIS:VS,CEAH. Fort Collins, CO: National Animal Health Monitoring SystemGoogle Scholar
USDA (2009). Dairy 2007, Part V: Changes in Dairy Cattle Health and Management Practices in the United States, 1996–2007 USDA. Fort Collins, CO: APHIS:VS, CEAH.Google Scholar
USDA (2010). Dairy 2007, Heifer Calf Health and Management Practices on U.S. Dairy Operations, 2007 USDA. Fort Collins, CO: APHIS:VS, CEAH.Google Scholar
USDA (2012). Dairy Heifer Raiser, 2011 USDA–APHIS–VS, CEAH. Fort Collins, CO: National Animal Health Monitoring System (NAHMS).Google Scholar
Van Donkersgoed, J, Ribble, CS, Boyer, LG and Townsend, HGG (1993). Epidemiological study of enzootic pneumonia in dairy calves in Saskatchewan. Canadian Journal of Veterinary Research 57: 247254.Google Scholar
Waltner-Toews, D, Martin, SW, Meek, AH and McMillan, I (1986a). Dairy calf management, morbidity and mortality in Ontario Holstein herds. I. The Data. Preventive Veterinary Medicine 4: 103124.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Waltner-Toews, D, Martin, SW and Meek, AH (1986b). Effect of early calfhood health status on survivorship and age at first calving. Canadian Journal of Veterinary Research 50: 314317.Google Scholar
Warnick, LD, Erb, HN and White, ME (1997). The relationship of calfhood morbidity with survival after calving in 25 New York Holstein herds. Preventive Veterinary Medicine 31: 263273.Google Scholar
Windeyer, MC, Leslie, KE, Godden, SM, Hodgins, DC, Lissemore, KD and LeBlanc, SJ (2014). Factors associated with morbidity, mortality and growth of dairy heifer calves up to three months of age. Preventive Veterinary Medicine 113: 231240.Google Scholar
Young, A and Rood, KA (2010). Dairy heifer raising “gold standards”. Western Dairy News 10:W111-W112. [Available online at: http://www.cvmbs.colostate.edu/ilm/proinfo/wdn/2010/August%202010%20WDN.pdf]. Last accessed August 24, 2014.Google Scholar