Neonatal mortality is a critical indicator in assessing the performance of cattle farms. European data show that the optimal rate is below 5%, but variations can be substantial depending on the production system, colostrum quality, and perinatal management. In farms where housing hygiene is carefully monitored and colostrum is correctly administered within the first two hours after calving, calf survival approaches the European reference values.

One of the determining factors is passive immune transfer, a process that provides resistance to infections from the very first days of life. In the absence of proper colostrum administration, the risk of mortality can increase threefold, according to European technical analyses. Other important factors include ambient temperature, pen cleanliness, and close monitoring of calvings—elements that, in high-performing farms, are integrated into a standardized operating system.

Farms in Romania show heterogeneous results, with specialized units achieving levels comparable to modern EU farms, while traditional operations continue to face shortages of labor and optimized infrastructure. Reducing neonatal mortality remains, for 2025, one of the strategic objectives of farms focused on increasing efficiency and strengthening biological capital.

(Photo: Freepik)