2026-10-06T16:10:07Z https://api.figshare.com/v2/oai

oai:figshare.com:article/33461209 2026-09-15T14:38:32Z category_23890 category_23893 category_23896 item_type_3 month_year_09_2026

<b>Effects of Calf Diarrhea on Short- and Long-Term Performance in Dairy Cattle: A meta-analysis</b> Lu Guocheng (21456227) Animal growth and development Animal management Animal nutrition calf diarrhea short-term effects long-term effects dairy calves <p dir="ltr">Calf diarrhea is a major cause of morbidity and mortality among calves in the global dairy industry and may exert persistent effects on performance in adulthood. To quantitatively assess its short- and long-term effects, this study systematically searched Web of Science, Google Scholar, and ScienceDirect, and ultimately included 46 studies. A three-level random-effects model was used for meta-analysis. The results showed that diarrhea significantly increased the risk of calf mortality (OR = 4.58), reduced pre-weaning average daily gain (WMD = -0.08 kg/d) and body weight (WMD = -3.29 kg), and led to disturbances in metabolism, immunity, antioxidant capacity, and intestinal barrier function. In the long term, primiparous dairy cows with a history of calf diarrhea experienced delays of 8.93 days in age at first conception and 8.03 days in age at first calving, and their 305-d milk yield in the first lactation tended to decrease (WMD = -285.15 kg, <i>P</i> = 0.08). Heterogeneity was high, publication bias was present for some outcomes, and sensitivity analyses generally preserved the overall direction of the effects. In conclusion, calf diarrhea not only increases early mortality and health impairment but may also lead to reproductive delays and potential milk production losses. Furthermore, growth suppression was most pronounced when diarrhea occurred at approximately 28 days of age, highlighting the need for enhanced early prevention.</p> 2026-09-15T14:38:32Z Dataset Dataset 10.6084/m9.figshare.33461209.v1 https://figshare.com/articles/dataset/_b_Effects_of_Calf_Diarrhea_on_Short-_and_Long-Term_Performance_in_Dairy_Cattle_A_meta-analysis_b_/33461209 CC BY 4.0