PRODUCTION INDEXES, CALF HEALTH AND MORTALITY ON 7 RED VEAL FARMS IN ONTARIO

Production, morbidity, mortality and culling were investigated on seve n commercial red veal farms in Ontario. The total number of carves inc luded in the study group was 2251. The mean exit weight of marketed ca rves was 291 kg, with an average daily gain of 1.52 kg/day over the en tire production period. The percentage of calves receiving one or more treatment days was 55%, with an average number of individual treatmen t days per treated calf of 3.9. An increasing number of treatment days , particularly up to eight days of treatment, was associated with decr easing average daily gain, and an increased probability of being lost from production due to death or culling. The percentage of carves whic h died during production was 5.4, with 0.8% of calves culled.