Calf morbidity, mortality, and management practices in dairy farms in Jimma City, Southwestern Ethiopia

BACKGROUND: This research aims to determine the incidence of calf morbidity, mortality and its potential predisposing factors in the first six months of life. Morbidity and mortality of dairy calves are persistent problems for dairy farmers worldwide. For effective control and prevention programs on calf health, it is imperative to estimate the extent of calf morbidity and mortality, and associated risk factors. Although few studies have investigated the epidemiology of calf morbidity and mortality in Ethiopia, comprehensive information is scarce in this area. METHODS: Data were collected through a cross-sectional survey and longitudinal follow-up on purposively selected dairy farms. A longitudinal study was conducted on 235 calves from birth to 6 months of age. Survival analysis methods using the Kaplan–Meier (K-M) method, and mixed effect Cox proportional hazard regression were employed to compute the life-to-event data on morbidity and mortality. RESULTS: From the 235 calves studied, 53 morbidity and 15 mortality events were recorded. This gives an overall morbidity and mortality incidence rate of 55 per 100-calf 6-months at risk (risk rate of 42.07%) and 14 per 100-calf 6-months at risk (risk rate of 12.97%), respectively. Diarrhea (13.84%) followed by pneumonia (8.97%) were the most common diseases that occurred in calves, respectively. Similarly, diarrhea (33.3%) and pneumonia (26.7%) were the leading causes of death. Dam parity (p < 0.001) and pen cleaning (p < 0.001) were significant predictors of calf morbidity. Dam parity (p = 0.007), calving status (p = 0.005), pen cleaning (p = 0.04), and floor type (p = 0.001) of houses were significantly associated with mortality. The hazard of diarrhea was significantly associated with sex (p = 0.003), first colostrum feeding time (p = 0.028), pen cleaning (p = 0.010), and breeding method (p = 0.013). CONCLUSION: The rates of morbidity and mortality reported in the study were higher than the economically acceptable, also affecting the welfare of the animals. The risk factors found need due attention in the management practices of dairy calves in Ethiopia. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12917-023-03815-w.