A Retrospective Study on the Mortality Rate of Camel Calves, Leading Causes, and Associated Risk Factors in Borana Zone, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia
Background:Camelus dromedarius (one-humped camel) is an important livestock species uniquely adapted to arid and hot environments. Purpose: This study aims to determine the mortality rate of camel calves and to investigate the potential risk factors associated with it. Methods: Retrospective data were collected through interviews with livestock owners using a semi-structured questionnaire from February 2020 to January 2021. During the study period, a total of 1,249 calves were born. This allowed for assessment of annual mortality rate and its main contributing factors. Results: The average annual mortality rate was 26% (1.29 ±1.77), while the overall mortality rate was 55% (1.30 ± 1.85). Malnutrition (5%), unexplained causes (6%), and diseases (24%) were the three leading causes of calf mortality. Diarrhea (57%), nonspecific diseases (45.4%), respiratory diseases (23%) were significant among the diseases. Mistakes in the management of young livestock included limiting access to colostrum and milk for human consumption, as well as poor care and health management. Conclusion: The results of this study suggested that the pastoral livestock production system used in Borena has a serious problem with calf mortality. The first month of life had the highest mortality rate of 26%. Diseases, starvation, and unexplained causes were the leading causes of calf mortality. In addition, calf mortality was associated with the timing of birth and colostrum feeding.
Abbas, B., Al-Qarawi, A., and Al-Hawas, A., 2000. Survey on Camel Husbandry in Qassim Region, Saudi Arabia: Herding Strategies, Productivity and Mortality. Revue d'Elevage et de Médecine Vétérinaire des Pays Tropicaux, 53, 293-298.
Al-Juboori, A., and Baker, M.M., 2012. Studies on Common Reproductive Disorders in Dromedary Camels (Camelus dromedarius) in United Arab Emirates (UAE) Under Field Conditions. Presented at the 3rd Conference of The International Society of Camelid Research and Development, Muscat. Sultan Qaboos University
Behnke, R., 2010. The Contribution of Livestock to The Economies of IGAD Member States: Study Findings, Application of The Methodology in Ethiopia and Recommendations for Further Work. IGAD LPI Working Paper No. 02-10. IGAD Livestock Policy Initiative.
Bollig, M., 1992. East Pokot Camel Husbandry. Nomadic Peoples, 3, 34-50.
Bornstein, S., 1988. The Case of African Drylands and Balanced Camel Production: A Veterinary Point of View. In: A. Hjort af Ornäs Ed., Camels in Development: Sustainable Production in African Drylands. Uppsala, Sweden, Scandinavian Institute of African Studies, 97-104.
Bremaud, O., 1969. Notes on Camel Production in Northern Districts of The Republic of Kenya. Report for Ministry of Agriculture Nairobi Kenya.
Burgemeister R., 1975. Elévage de Chameaux en Afrique du Nord. Eschborn, Germany, GTZ.
BZLRDA., 2020. Borana Zone Livestock Resource and Development Ajency. Livestock Population Data.
BZPADO (Borena Zone Pastoral Area Development Office), 2009. Annual Livestock Population and Diseases Report of Borena Zones Pastoral Districts. Borena Zone Livestock Population Report, Cattle Population and Diseases, Ethiopia.
CARE-Ethiopia, 2009. Value Chain Analysis of Milk and Milk products in Borena Pastoralist Area. Regional Resilience Enhancement against Drought Project, Yonas Business Promotion and Consultancy P LC. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 12-25.
Catley, A., Admassu, B., Bekele, G., and Abebe, D., 2014. Livestock Mortality in Pastoralist Herds in Ethiopia and Implications for Drought Response. Disasters, 38 (3), 500−516.
Coppock, D.L., 1994. The Borana Plateau of Southern Ethiopia: Synthesis of Pastoral Research, Development and Change, 1980–91, 374. Addis Ababa: ILCA Systems Study No. 5, International Livestock Centre for Africa Diseases, Health Care, and Management. International Livestock Centre For Africa.
Farah, K.O., Nyariki, D.M., Ngugi, RK., Noor, I.M., and Guliye, A.Y., 2004. The Somali and The Camel: Ecology, Management and Economics. Anthropologist, 6, 45-55.
Faye, B., 2015. Role, Distribution and Perspective of Camel Breeding in The Third Millennium Economies. Emirates Journal of Food and Agriculture, 27 (4), 318–327.
Getahun, T., and Kassa, B., 2002. Camel Husbandry Practices in Eastern Ethiopia: The Case of Jijiga and Shinile Zones. Nomadic Peoples, 6, 158.
Gluecks, I.V., 2007. The Prevalence of Bacterial and Protozoal Intestinal Pathogens in Suckling Camel Calves in Northern Kenya. [Dissertation]. Freie Universität Berlin, Germany.
Hartley B.J., 1984. The Dromedary of The Horn of Africa. The Camelid - An All-Purpose Animal. Vol. I, Scandinavian Institute of African Studies, Uppsala.
Kamber, R., Farah, Z., Rusch, P., and Hasig, M., 2000. The Supply of Newborn Camel Foals (Camelus dromedaries) With Immunoglobulin. Schweizer Archiv für Tierheilkunde, 142(10), 581-588
Kaufmann, B., 1998. Analysis of Pastoral Camel Husbandry in Northern Kenya. Hohenheim Tropical Agricultural Series. Margraf Verlag Weikershereim Germany.
Kaufmann B.A., 2000. Camel Calf Losses and Calf Care Measures in Pastoral Herds of Northern Kenya. Revue d'Elevage et de Médecine Vétérinaire des Pays Tropicaux, 53 (2), 137-144.
Keskes, S., Ibrahim, M., Tessema, T.S., Tamir, B., Regassa, F., Kassa, T., and Dawo, F., 2013. Production Systems and Reproductive Performances of Camelus dromedarius in Somali Regional State. Eastern Ethiopia Journal of Agriculture and Environment for International Development,107, 243-266.
Kuria, S.G., Tura, I., Amboga, S., Walaga, H.K., and Lesuper, J., 2011. The Current Status of Camel (Camelus dromedarius) Calf Management Among Pastoral Communities of Northern Kenya. Livestock Research for Rural Development, 23 (7), 1-7.
Lema, M., Kassa, T., and Tagagne, A., 2001. Clinically Manifested Major Health Problems of Cross Breed Dairy Herds in Urban and Peri-Urban Production Systems in The Central High Land of Ethiopia. Tropical Animal Health Production, 33 (2001), 85-93.
Njanja, J.C., 2007. Major Factors Associated with High Morbidity, Mortality and Poor Performance of Camel Calves, Kids and Lambs in The Rendille and Samburu Pastoral Herds in Marsabit District Kenya. [Dissertation]. University of Nairobi Kenya.
Schwartz, H.J., and Dioli, M., 1992. The One-Humped Camel in Eastern Africa: A Pictorial Guide to Diseases, Health Care and Management. Verlag Josef Margraf, Scientific Books. Weikersheim FR, Germany.
Schwartz, H.J., and Walsh, M.G.H., 1992. The Productive Potential of The Camel. The One-Humped Camel (C. dromedarius) in Eastern Africa: A Pictorial Guide to Diseases, Health Care and Management. Verlag Joseph Margraf.
Simpkin, S.P., 1996. The Effect of Breed and Management on Milk Yield of Camels in Kenya. [Dissertation]. University of Newcastle Upon-Tyne.
Tadesse Y, Urge M, Abegaz S, Kurtu MY, Kebede K., and Dessie, K., 2014. Husbandry and Breeding Practices of Dromedary Camels Among Pastoral Communities of Afar and Somali Regional States, Ethiopia. Journal of Agriculture and Environment for International Development, 108, 167-189.
Tsegaw, F., 2016. Assessment of Young Stock Mortality in Major Livestock Production Systems of Ethiopia. Feed the Future – Research Award. USAID.
Tura, I., Kuria, G., Walaga, H.K., and Lesuper, J., 2010. Camel Breeding Management among The Somali, Sakuye, Gabbra and Rendille Pastoralists of Northern Kenya. Tropentag, Zurich, Switzerland
Waver, D. M., Tyler, J. W., Vanmeter, D. C., Hostlewr, D. E., and Barrington, G.M., 2000. Passive Transfer of Colostral Immunoglobulin in Calves. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine, 14 (6), 569-577.
Wilson, R.T., 1984. The Camel. Longman Group Ltd. Harlow Essex UK
Wilson, R.T., 1986. Reproductive Performance and Survival of Young One-Humped Camels on Kenya Commercial Ranches. Animal Production, 42 (3), 375-380.
Wilson, R.T., 1998. Camels (The Tropical Agriculturalists). CTA Macmillan Ltd.
Yesihak, Y., and Bekele, T. 2003. Growth Pattern of One Humped Camel (Camelus dromedarius). Proceeding of the 11th Annual Conference of the Ethiopian Society of Animal Production (ESAP). Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Copyright (c) 2024 Authors
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
- The journal allows the author to hold the copyright of the article without restrictions.
- The journal allows the author(s) to retain publishing rights without restrictions.
- The legal formal aspect of journal publication accessibility refers to Creative Commons Attribution Share-Alike (CC BY-SA).
Journal of Applied Veterinary Science and Technology is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License
