3.1| EPIDEMIOLOGICAL FINDINGS
Regarding the breeding system and environment, the kid barn contained six collective 2 m × 1 m kid pens (for different ages) with common access to a solarium area (Figure 1D). The pens had a concrete floor covered with shavings. Lateral walls were 1.5 meters high without windows with poor ventilation and they were overcrowded (Figure 1C). After birth, the kids were immediately separated from their mothers and they received 200 mL of pasteurized colostrum, twice a day, up to two days old. From two to ten days old, they received transition goat’s milk as the milk replacer (20% protein, 18% fat content and probioticS. cerevisiae (Cabra Milk, Repamix®, São Paulo, Brazil) providing around 25% of the kid’s live weight/day divided into 3 equal portions, offered during the day. Milk replacer was then used until weaning at 90 days old. Likewise, from 15 days old, concentrates and water were offered ad libitum .
Regarding feeding management, the milk replacer was prepared locally at a proportion of 120 g/1 L of water (recommended by the manufacturer), mixing with water at 40oC until it was homogeneous. The milk replacer was offered inside a plastic bottle, previously cleaned with boiled water, to feed the kids. The bottle was filled with 500 mL of milk replacer and then offered to the kids using a bottle support present at site. All sucking times, carried out with heterogeneous kid mobs, lasted for up to two minutes per mob, and then some kids began eating the concentrate.
Regarding the immunization program, pregnant goats received a single dose of vaccine against clostridiosis containing alpha toxoid (Covexin 9™; MSD Saúde Animal Brasil; São Paulo, Brazil), pasteurellosis, and colibacillosis (Paraven; Vencofarma, São Paulo, Brazil) at 30 days before delivery. Female and male kids received their first doses against clostridiosis (Covexin 9™; MSD Saúde Animal Brasil; São Paulo, Brazil) at one and two months old. In summary, the main possible associated factors and preventive measures indicated are summarized in Table 1.
From dairy farm data collection (45 days), the morbidity, mortality and lethality rates were 53.7% (44/82), 15.9% (13/82) and 29.5% (13/44), respectively. A total of 76.9% (10/13) of kids that died, during this period, developed an acute disease course (less than 18 h) and other three kids showed two (2/13) or three (1/13) relapses before death. From recovered sick kids, 51.6% (16/31) did not presented posterior relapse and 22.6% (7/31), 16.1% (5/31), and 9.7% (3/31) showed one, two or more than three relapses, respectively. Lastly, considering a total of 82 births (up to corrective measures), with 13 deaths during data collection (45 days) and seven deaths before due to the abomasal bloat, the final mortality rate was 24.4% (20/82).