Analysis of mortality in young fulani cattle raised under traditional management in a cotton cultivation zone of Burkina Faso

From January 1992 to December 1994, a survey was conducted on about one thousand head of fulani (#bos indicus#.) cattle, divided in 47 herds and raised in the agropastoral system of a cutton cultivation zone of Burkina Faso. Data were analysed for rates and causes of mortality occurring in young animals of age ranging from 0 to 24 months. 7he overall mortality rates (MR) was 15.3 %, whereas stillbirth was 1.5 % and perinatal mortality 2.5 %. No statistical difference (P>0. 05) was noticed between males and females for MR although they were higher in male (1 6. 4 %) than in females (11. 9 %). Similarly there was no statistical difference in MR over years (P>0. 05) with 12.4 %, 20. 0 % and 13..5 % for 1992, 1993 and 1994 respectively. Parity played an important role on MR, animals issued from the fifth delivery having significantly lower (P<0. 05) MR (4.8 %) than the others: 18. 6 %, 13. 6 %, 14.1 % and 12.9 % respectively for the fourth, third, second anti first delivery. Overall MR of animals born during the hot and dry and the hot and humid seasons. were higher (25 %) than those of animals born during other seasons: 14 % for humid and cool. 18 % for humid and hot after the rains and 12 % for dry and cool season (P<0.05). Furthermore, classes of animal.s from 0 to 6 and from 12 to 18 months had higher higher MR (P<0.05) respectively of 27. 1 and 22. 8 %, than those from 6 to (11. 5 %) and 18 to 24 months (10.2 %). Among the causes. of mortality, diseases were identified as the most frequent ones, accounting up to 68.2 %, followed by accidents (14.1 %), malnutrition (12.9 %), growth perturbation (1.2 %), the remaining 1.2 % being classified as unknown. Within the 68.2 % of the deaths due to disease, the frequency distribution of the symptoms was 50 % diarrhoea. 38 % anaemia, 5 % respiratory., 5 % unknown and 2 % digestive. It is. anticipated that control of mortalities will benefit to improve income generation. (Résumé d'auteur