Prediction of rickets in young cattle using an intelligent system for contactless assessment of the external parameters of adult animals

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Abstract
The purpose of this study was to find the relationship between biochemical parameters of blood of pregnant cows and the development of rickets in newborn calves in order to assess the possibility of prognosis and prevention of this disease.The study was conducted on 32 pregnant zebu‐type Black‐and‐White cows and their offspring (n=30). Calcium‐phosphorus metabolism indicators and vitamin D levels were evaluated in the cows at 50 and 14 days pre‐calving, and in calves at 0, 1, 3, and 6 months of age.The concentration of vitamin D in cows turned out to be critically low (13.43–13.47 ng/ml at a rate of 28–35 ng/ml), and the ratio of Ca: The P did not correspond to the norm (1.36:1 and 1.2:1 with a norm of 1.5–2:1). The calves had vitamin D levels 80 % below normal at birth, and 80 % of the young showed signs of rickets in the first month of life. A strong positive correlation was found between the level of vitamin D in cows 50 and 14 days before calving and its level in calves at birth (r= +0.751 and r= +0.709, respectively). A stable average negative correlation was found between the level of calcium in cows and the activity of alkaline phosphatase in calves. However, the coefficient of determination (R2) for most bonds was low (11–39 %), which indicates a weak influence of the studied parameters.It was found that the indicators of calcium‐phosphorus metabolism in pregnant cows do not have a high prognostic value for reliable prediction of the risk of rickets in offspring. Based on the results, it was considered inappropriate to use these parameters for the prediction of rickets in a contactless animal assessment system.

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