PROJECT NAME: Production of Wheelchair for Bedridden Calves
PROJECT MANAGER: Assistant Prof. Dr. Harun ÇINAR
PROJECT TOPIC:
Just before birth, during birth, and after birth, the rate of calf deaths in heifers and cows is between 2-20% (average: 5-8%). The main causes of these deaths are; difficult births 35%, oxygen deficiency 30%, other reasons 15%, infectious diseases 5%, and congenital disorders 5%. In approximately 25% of cases, no diagnosis can be made. It is stated that 75% of deaths occur during birth or within the first hour after birth, 10% before birth, and 15% within 48 hours after birth. About 90% of the calves that die during this period are alive at the start of birth. This shows that a large portion of calf losses occurs during birth, during attempts to assist birth, and immediately after birth. In this context, knowing the time of birth, showing care to the mother before birth, and appropriately assisting the birth, and finally, performing all necessary applications professionally to increase the chances of the newborn to live are essential. As a result, ensuring a smooth birth process in livestock enterprises is very important for both cow and calf health.
During the intervention for difficult births in cows, the pulling process applied by the farmer, animal caretaker, and veterinarian or the calf being stepped on by the cow after birth causes fractures in the calf. Long limb fractures are frequently encountered in calves. Among the fractures that occur in calves, metacarpus and metatarsus are the most common, followed by femur, tibia, radius-ulna, vertebra, and humerus fractures. These fractures usually occur in one or both legs. The main causes of these fractures include unconscious applications made to assist difficult births due to a narrow pelvic canal, the calf falling inappropriately to the ground or the canal during standing birth, the calf being stepped on by the mother while lying down, being kicked by another animal, and traffic accidents. Generally, bandage applications form the conservative treatment option in fracture cases. In a previous study, it was observed that there were some deaths after fracture treatment in calves using various methods. Calf fractures are treated using open or closed methods. While plaster or PVC bandages are applied as a closed method; intramedullary pin, plate, and external fixation are applied in the open method. The healing process after reduction varies between 45-60 days, and this process is closely related to the care provided by the owner.
Another breeding problem during this process is umbilical infections due to the lack of umbilical care after birth. Umbilical infections or severe joint damage caused by polyarthritis resulting from these infections lead to losses. Similarly, umbilical infections that result in death can occur in calves without umbilical care. The correct cutting and cleaning of the umbilical cord should be ensured. The umbilical cord should not be longer than a hand span. Immediately after birth, the umbilical cord should be dipped in a diluted tincture of iodine solution to clean both the inside and outside.
Along with umbilical infections, joint infections also occur. The most common causes of joint diseases include lack of care conditions after birth, umbilical or systemic infections (respiratory disease, diarrhea, etc.) in calves, and insufficient applications to strengthen the immune system (insufficient intake of colostrum, etc.) resulting in purulent joint disease. Therefore, calves lose their joint movements to varying degrees. In such cases, owners cannot adequately care for the heavy-bodied calf, leading to bedsores and various organ failures in continuously lying calves, resulting in the death of calves undergoing treatment. This causes financial losses both in the animal's value and the money spent on treatment. When the local effects of joint diseases are determined, treatment should be started immediately to control the infection and limit its destructive effect on the joint cartilage. Among the necessary actions, care conditions after birth should be observed, and umbilical cord care should not be neglected.
From birth, calves can face various diseases. Their treatment should be done according to the disease. However, the importance of post-operative care is as significant as the treatment in curing the disease. Irregular and careless post-operative care can exacerbate the disease.
PROJECT PURPOSE:
During the treatment process before the invention and after surgical intervention, sick calves are cared for in shelters by laying straw bales underneath. During this care process, patients lie on one side for a long time. During this lying process, the circulatory system on the side in contact with the ground deteriorates, and necrosis (cell death) occurs in the tissues over time. Even if the primary disease is treated, the general condition of the patient can worsen due to the wounds that occur during the treatment process, leading to death.
Calves frequently encounter fractures of the front and hind limbs, joint and umbilical infections, and temporary paralysis due to incorrect force application during difficult births. Due to poor care conditions during the treatment process, calf deaths occur. While similar medical products exist for other animal species, there is no commercial product related to calves. The developed product aims to prevent contact with the dirty barn floor after abdominal operations, reduce the risk of recurrence in hernias, ensure stabilization in fractures, prevent bedsores due to continuous lying, facilitate intervention to the sick animal, and increase animal welfare.
The purpose of this study is to develop a product that will reduce losses and facilitate care in calves undergoing long-term treatment for various reasons. It is aimed to patent this product.
PROJECT REGIONAL CONTRIBUTION:
In this study, it is aimed to prevent the formation of various wounds and subsequent deaths in calves due to long-term lying in dirty and hard-surfaced environments after operations for frequently occurring front and hind limb fractures, temporary paralysis, metabolic diseases, joint infections (arthritis), and umbilical infections (omphalitis, omphalophlebitis, omphaloarthritis, urachus empyema, etc.). Even if the patient is treated, deaths occur due to wounds formed from lying. With this project, we aim to prevent the significant number of deaths of bedridden calves.
“With this produced cart, it will be ensured that calves stand in a sternal position and upright during the treatment process.”
• Benefits of the sternal position;
The formation of bedsores will be prevented,
Tissue damage in internal organs due to lying will be minimized (especially lung edema on the lying side),
Disruptions in digestive activities will be eliminated, as gases formed in the fermentative digestive system of ruminants can be expelled,
Wounds occurring during movements will be reduced.
• Benefits of standing upright;
It will accelerate the healing of fractures for physical therapy purposes during the walking process,
Contact with the ground will be reduced, decreasing microbes from the bedding,
The patient will be transported, primarily taken to open areas in good weather to increase sunlight intake, aiding fracture healing and providing clean air for upper respiratory diseases,
The bandage applied after fracture operations will be kept clean,
Muscle weakening will be prevented by walking with height adjustment.
Additionally, the product is intended to be used for animal health by breeders and animal health workers. Besides, it is considered to sell the product to animal hospitals, veterinary clinics, large livestock enterprises, village and farmer cooperatives.
PROJECT SOCIAL CONTRIBUTION:
Various factors and diseases causing high levels of calf deaths in our country cause significant damage to both our farmers' and our country's economy.
Due to the production insufficiency against the increasing population in Turkey, the need for butcher and breeding animals is tried to be met through imports. It is possible to reverse this situation. The most practical and short-term method to achieve results is to reduce calf losses. Calf losses in livestock enterprises should be evaluated in two aspects. The first is diseases and related calf deaths in the period up to the 180th day after birth; the second is losses due to delays in the animal's pregnancy. It is reported that economic losses can increase approximately two times due to both situations. Calf deaths deprive enterprises of a significant income item and may necessitate the purchase of young breeding candidate animals from outside to maintain herd size. The largest losses in dairy cattle breeding occur in the newborn period (first 24 hours-28 days after birth). In intensive breeding systems, it is reported that newborn calf losses are between 6-16%. As a result, calf losses are among the most important factors for the existence and sustainability of cattle enterprises.
Increasing animal welfare is one of the goals of this developed product. Welfare is important for raising a healthy calf. Calf welfare is influenced by various housing and environmental factors such as nutrition and health programs, transportation and caretaker interaction, herd communication, and dehorning. Since calf health is protected by animal welfare practices, calf losses causing significant economic damage in our country can be largely prevented.
Considering these situations; calf losses are an international welfare issue. Problems in problematic farms should be identified, and risk factors should be reduced. Especially information gaps about unexplained stillbirths should be filled. With an understanding of economically and environmentally sustainable management, veterinarians play a central role in preventing diseases, protecting health, and ensuring animal welfare in dairy cows and calves. To create healthy breeding conditions and profitability, veterinarians, farm consultants, farm personnel, and decision-making farm owners should cooperate and implement calf health management programs specific to the enterprise.
Calf deaths due to various diseases and causes cause significant damage to both our farmers' and our country's economy. This project aims to prevent calf deaths due to poor care conditions after treatment application.
With the product to be developed to control and eliminate animal diseases, it is aimed to prevent contact with the dirty barn floor after abdominal operations, reduce the risk of recurrence in hernias, ensure stabilization in fractures, prevent bedsores due to continuous lying, facilitate intervention to the sick animal, and increase animal welfare.