Abstract
A retrospective study of calf mortality and morbidity was made on 58 upazila veterinary hospitals and 4350 smallholder traditional farms. Out of 15 840 clinical cases treated at the hospitals between January 1986 and June 1987 (both months inclusive) 52% of all diagnoses were of gastro-enteritis. No specific disease was found to be of overriding importance. On-farm calf mortality up to 12 months of age was 9% with no clear peak mortality related to age. A higher mortality was observed in the monsoon months, in
Bos indicus/B. taurus cross-bred calves, and male vs. female calves Malnutrition is argued to be the probable major cause of calf mortality. The results are discussed in relation to previously-observed inconsistencies in the age/sex structure of the national herd.