ORIGINAL ARTICLES
MORTALITY IN YOUNG CALVES IN INDIA
By F. C. MINETT, Imperial Veterinary Research Institute, Mukteswar-Kumaun
(Received for publication on 15 March 1946)
(With four text-figures)
T HERE does not exist any large-scale, precise estimate of mortality among young cattle stock
in India. There are vague suggestions that the mortality is much higher than it ought to be,
and no doubt there could be found here and there collections of ngures or statements which would
fai
f the local situation. It would be of great value to amass and analyse comprehensive
are
ata in this connection, for one thing because it would focus public attention on a pro-
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which strikes at the very root of the livestock industry. An example of the sort of survey re-
quired is that recently published by Lovell and Bradford Hill [1940] on calf mortality in Great Britain.
Their results will be referred to again but at the moment it is enough to say their data, extended over
two years, 1936 and 1937, dealt with 382 herds and nearly 28,000 births.
The present contribution, which concerns two Military Farms at Secunderabad and Lahore
(Airfield), is-but a small beginning. The enquiry should be greatly extended when circumstances
permit; such extension has not been possible in war-time, apart from which it must be emphasized
that there is only one way to get satisfactory data and that is by personal visit and enquiry. Since
weather conditions might not be without influence, it was resolved to examine the mortality-rates
at two centres, one in the north and the other in the south. Information, covering approximately
the same period, was accordingly obtained from Military Farms at Lahore (Punjab) and Secunderabad
(Deccan). At both places the animal management is good, but at Secunderabad there has been a
shortage of green feed. As will be seen, however, the climatic and farm conditions at the two places
are quite different.
The following information was provided by the India Meteorological Department:
Station
Begumpet (4 miles from Secunderabad)
Lahore (4 miles from Airfield) . .
Period
1938-44
1939-44
Data
Mean daily maximum and minimum temperatures.
Mean relative humidity per cent at 8 hours LMT.
Total rainfall in inches.
Number of rainy days.
Mean daily wind velocity in miles per hour.
Mean wind direction at 8 hours LMT.
In all cases the information was given by months, From the data, the monthly means for the required
periods have been drawn (Table VII) and examined for any relationship to the mean monthly morta-
lity-rate.
SECUNDERABAD
The farm is one of 480 acres, situated about five miles from Secunderabad city at an altitude
of 2,000 ft. The cows are Friesian-Sindhi, the cow stock numbering about 200 from 1938 to 1941 and
about 240 since 1941. Average numbers of other cattle stock between 1938-1944 are : calves up to
one year 63, between one and two years 56, over two years 56. The size of the buffalo herd has been
increasing since 1941, the yearly stock figures from 1939 being 280, 318, 280, 407, 505,and (in 1944)
1,325. The land is poor and unirrigated. The nature of the soil and the low rainfall preclude the
abundant growth of fodder grasses, so that there are only three or four acres of fodder grasses. Silage
was fed up to 1943. Green grass is cut during the monsoon when about two feet high and fed at
10-15 pounds' daily to the milking cows. After cutting, the pasture is also grazed to some extent.
No green stuff is provided for the dry cows or the buffaloes. The cows are tied in the shed and bedded
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