The present study had the objective of identifying different management systems related to newborn dairy calves morbidity and mortality, with emphasis on colostrum feeding. It was used 211 herds in the South Center Region of Minas Gerais State, separated into three production categories: category A, from 200 to 600 L/day; category B, from 601 to 1000L/day; and category C, >1001 L/day. The dairy farmers were interviewed through a questionnaire that embraced the production aspects, herd management and newborn performance, focusing primarily on the handling of colostrum feeding and neonatal mortality. For the statistical analysis it was used variance analysis, parametric and no parametric tests. Besides the division in milk production categories, the data were also redistributed and analyzed in relation to high and low calf mortality index. Based on the results it was selected the main variables related to mortality: total number of animals; number of cows; number of milking cows; period of time between birth and first milking; amount of colostrum in the first meal; the way colostrum and milk were supplied, milk origin; type of housing; age that calves were fed calf started and the weaning age.
calf; colostrum; mortality; questionnaire
