This is a subscriber-only article
Scour is the leading cause of calf mortality from birth to four weeks old and once the disease takes hold, it is difficult to get on top of.
As spring calving moves up a gear, the risk of a scour outbreak will increase where cattle will remain housed. Outlined are five tips to keeping scour at bay.
1 Colostrum
The earlier calves get colostrum, the better. Ideally, calves should be feeding within two hours of being born. If not, then think about tubing the calf to get it up and going.
Once the calf is 12 hours old, its ability to absorb antibodies in colostrum starts to decline. If cows were vaccinated for scour, then it is crucial that calves are feeding within this timeframe.
In the vast majority of cases, suckler calves will feed unassisted, so gauging how much colostrum the calf is getting is difficult.
But as a simple rule of thumb, for every 10 minutes of continuous sucking, the calf should be getting around one litre of milk.
2 Clean, dry straw bedding
Plenty of clean, dry straw is a basic requirement for any calf. Wet and soiled bedding allows scour pathogens to multiply.
Wet bedding also lowers the calf’s core body temperature, making it more susceptible to the disease.
If you cannot kneel on a straw bed without getting your knees wet, there is not enough straw present.
Cows will shed scour pathogens in their dung. Providing calves with a creep area gives them access to dry bedding and lowers the risk of scour.
3 Good ventilation
Air flow in the shed will also affect the build-up of scour. Moisture and humid air keeps bedding damp, allowing scour to multiply. Good ventilation will remove moisture and draw in fresh air.
4 Clean out sheds midway through calving
Scour will build in sheds over time, so later-born calves face a greater disease challenge. It is unrealistic to clean every calving pen out after each use during peak calving.
However, at the very least, aim to get calving sheds cleaned out at least once. Cleaning sheds midway through calving will lower the build-up of scour for later-born calves.
Using hydrated lime in individual and group pens after use can help to slow the build-up of scour. Keep the areas around water troughs clean, as this is a prime area for scour to multiply.
5 Getting calves out to grass
As soon as weather, grass supply and ground conditions allow, slip cows and calves outside to lower stocking density in sheds and disease build up.
Even allowing calves out to a sheltered paddock during the day, then rehousing at night, can also help lower the disease risk.
SHARING OPTIONS: