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Abstract
In the dairy production units, a point of vital importance is the rearing of calves, this is done in order to replace the adult cows that are leaving the farm. This is why the first weeks and months of a calf's life are crucial to raising a highly productive dairy cow. It is important to consider that the triggering factors for diseases in calves are a reference point that must be addressed. Morbidity and mortality in calves before weaning are attributed to infectious diseases, which are mainly diarrhea and pneumonia. The objective of this work was to estimate the economic impact related to mortality and morbidity caused by diseases in dairy calves. An observational study was conducted in a population of 1072 Holstein calves. The variables that were considered to estimate the cost were: dead calf price, calf treatment/day, days of treatment. The diseases that were registered to monitor the health of the calves were diarrhea and pneumonia. A 71.92%, 2.24% and 8.4% prevalence of pups with an event of diarrhea, pneumonia and diarrhea plus pneumonia respectively was detected. These diseases generate a great economic impact, due to the costs of the treatments as well as the mortality with a value of $1’034,197.37 in the evaluated population.