A comparison of disease in calves. I. A method of disease recording and its use under different systems of feeding

SUMMARY The degree of calf disease in three groups of calves was studied under different feedings systems. The animals were bucket-fed once (OD) or twice (TD) a day, or ad-libitum machine fed (M1). Various methods of examining the data were considered and it was suggested that the recording system should include some element of disease ‘severity’, i. e. the degree to which signs were present and the duration of the illness. A simple recording system to produce results for on-farm comparison was suggested based on treatments and their costs. This was affected by how long therapy was continued and, in general, more expensive and larger numbers of different drugs tended to be used at the same time in animals which were clinically considered to be more seriously ill. Cost was calculated on the basis of cost per sick calf and cost per calf place. Comparison between the use of OD and TD feeding revealed little difference in level of disease; in the M1-fed animals there was more diarrhoea and respiratory disease. Slightly more disease occurred pre-weaning than post weaning (weaning at five weeks). There was no mortality during the trial.