Calf mortality in UK farms: A study on prevalence and risk factors

[Josh2016]

Dear Cattle farmers,

Please spare 5-10 minutes of your time to help complete this short questionnaire on calf mortality.

Why participate in this questionnaire?

Current research on calf mortality in UK farms is limited therefore the study is hoping to gain a better understanding on a number of areas relating to calf deaths which will significantly strengthen efforts to achieve better ways in controlling calf deaths thus reduce the overall impact.

The questionnaire is for research purposes only and the information provided will be treated with high level of confidentiality.


Link to the questionnaire - http://jaonyango.polldaddy.com/s/prevalence-risk-factors-for-calf-mortality

Should you have any questions please feel free to contact me via email: [email protected]

 

[Err0l]

I have answered the best I can but I feel your survey needs a bit more work.

 

[Princess Pooper]

Agree. Not the best survey! Closed herd aspect to risk factors for disease? Separation from older animals if housed? Colostrum feeding policy?

If our calves are born alive they usually stay alive and there wasn't really a way of getting that across in your survey

 

[bovine]

Who exactly is doing the research?

 

[Princess Pooper]

Who exactly is doing the research?

(Sort of assuming it is a student but a proper survey would state that and with what institution and for what project/qualification.)

 

[jade35]

(Sort of assuming it is a student but a proper survey would state that and with what institution and for what project/qualification.)

Cause of death question 8 how can you answer that question accurately if you cannot enter more than one answer, also where it states 'other' I assume a dropdown box should then be used to fill in what other means. What is meant by change of calf bedding? Is this a complete cleaning out of the calf pens or a new layer of bedding in the calf pen?

 

[Princess Pooper]

Cause of death question 8 how can you answer that question accurately if you cannot enter more than one answer, also where it states 'other' I assume a dropdown box should then be used to fill in what other means. What is meant by change of calf bedding? Is this a complete cleaning out of the calf pens or a new layer of bedding in the calf pen?

I gave up on the bedding questions - our individual pens in the old cow byre are cleaned out and if we are able, disinfected (We are not always able to do 'all out' and I do not want to be spraying water around if I still have other calves 3 feet away). They are limewashed every year and are empty for several months. Once group housed, calves are not cleaned out but deep littered. This is in and old corrugated iron and tin roofed lambing shed with wooden fittings which is wholly unsuitable for calf housing, with a hardcore base. Despite this they do not die and rarely get ill. Colostrum colostrum colostrum, and ventilation, neither of which gets a mention! When you take the cow from the calf is irrelevant to colostrum intake too!

 

[Rossymons]

I dont have pedigree or cross. I certainly dont have both!

What a waste of time.

 

[Josh2016]

Dear Cattle farmers,

Please spare 5-10 minutes of your time to help complete this short questionnaire on calf mortality.

Why participate in this questionnaire?

Current research on calf mortality in UK farms is limited therefore the study is hoping to gain a better understanding on a number of areas relating to calf deaths which will significantly strengthen efforts to achieve better ways in controlling calf deaths thus reduce the overall impact.

The questionnaire is for research purposes only and the information provided will be treated with high level of confidentiality.

Link to the questionnaire - http://jaonyango.polldaddy.com/s/prevalence-risk-factors-for-calf-mortality

I have answered the best I can but I feel your survey needs a bit more work.

Thank you everyone for the constructive comments which I have taken on board. I have made few corrections as suggested.