Abstract
The aetiology of abortions and calf mortality in 65 Danish cattle herds consisting of both dairy and beef breeds during a 1-year period is described. All observed aborted foetuses, stillborn calves, and calves dying before 6 months of age were necropsied, and relevant microbiological examinations were performed. A total of 240 calves and 66 abortions were submitted corresponding to a calf mortality rate of 7%. The abortion frequency could not be calculated. 43% of the calves died at day 0, while 22% were aborted, 15% died during the first week of life, 9% died from 1 to 4 weeks of age, and 11% died at the age of 1 to 6 months. The most common cause was neonatal pulmonic atelectasis (stillbirth) followed by foetal infections, pneumonia, and septicaemia.
Keywords: stillbirth
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Acknowledgements
We are grateful to participating farmers and veterinary practitioners for submitting material, and to the technical and scientific staff at the National Veterinary Laboratory, the Laboratory of Veterinary Pathology, and the State Veterinary Institute of Virus Research for performing the microbiological examinations and tissue preparations. We thank Mr. F. Kjeldsen, the Danish Agricultural EDP Centre (LEC) for providing us with information from the National Milk Recording System.
The investigations were supported by a grant from the Danish Research Academy and the National Committee on Danish Cattle Husbandry.
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