Risk Factors for Lamb and Kid Mortality in Sheep and Goat Farms in Jordan

This study was conducted to identify the risk factors that are associated with neonatal mortality in lambs and kids in Jordan. The bacterial causes of mortality in lambs and kids were investigated. One hundred sheep and goat flocks were selected randomly from different areas of North Jordan at the beginning of the lambing season. The flocks were visited every other week to collect information and to take samples from freshly dead animals. By the end of the lambing season, flocks that had neonatal mortality rate ≥ 1.0% were considered as “case group” while flocks that had neonatal mortality rate less than 1.0% − as “control group”. The results indicated that neonatal mortality rate (within 4 weeks of age), in lambs and kids, was 3.2%. However, the early neonatal mortality rate (within 48 hours of age) was 2.01% and represented 62.1% of the neonatal mortalities. The following risk factors were found to be associated with the neonatal mortality in lambs and kids: not separating the neonates from adult animals; not vaccinating dams against infectious diseases (pasteurellosis, colibacillosis and enterotoxemia); walking more than 5 km and starvation-mismothering exposure. The causes of neonatal mortality in lambs and kids were: diarrhea (59.75%), respiratory diseases (13.3%), unknown causes (12.34%), and accident (8.39%). Bacteria responsible for neonatal mortality were: Escherichia coli, Pasteurella multocida, Clostridium perfringens and Staphylococcus aureus. However, E. coli was the most frequent bacterial species identified as cause of neonatal mortality in lambs and kids and represented 63.4% of all bacterial isolates. The E. coli isolates belonged to 10 serogroups, the O44 and O26 being the most frequent isolates.