TITLE:
Factors Associated with Body Weight Attainment in Calves on Smallholder Dairy Farms in Tanzania
AUTHORS:
Jelly Senyangwa Chang'a, Torleiv Løken, Robinson H. Mdegela, Olav Reksen
KEYWORDS:
Bodyweight; Calf, Hematology; Management; Smallholder Dairy Farmers
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Veterinary Medicine,
Vol.2 No.2,
June
12,
2012
ABSTRACT: In order to investigate associations between individual calf parameters and/or herd management practices and dairy calf body weight (BW) attainment in smallholder farms in Tanzania, a prospective study was carried out at 121 farms in Mvomero and Njombe districts and included 156 crossbred dairy calves. Information on management factors and sources of calf drinking water were collected by personal observation and interview during four visits. At each visit, BW assessments were conducted by the same veterinarian and blood samples collected. The blood samples were analyzed for hematological parameters, total blood protein, glucose, and serum phosphorus and urea. Low BW was associated with smaller amount of milk fed to calves, early weaning, birth during the wet season, and well/tap water as the main water source (P