Scour (Rotavirus coronavirus) in calves is quickly spread via the faecal-oral route, therefore removing sick calves from the group as soon as possible not only limits the spread of disease but makes them easier to treat. By leaving these clinically sick calves in the pen you risk the rest of the group suffering sub-clinically. These sub-clinical symptoms may not be as visible but will be an underlying contributor to poor performance. Isolated calves should remain separated from the main herd even after symptoms have subsided as they will still be shedding oocysts.
Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) or pneumonia causes inflammation of the lung tissue and airways. Often, its damage is irreversible and you often cannot prevent pneumonia from having an effect later in life. Even mild cases of pneumonia can have an impact on daily live weight gain (DLWG) and feed conversion efficiency (FCE), increasing the cost of production.
Rearing dairy heifers from birth to first calving can be costly, but they are the future of the herd and it is important to get right. The aim is to inseminate heifers at 14- 15 months old to be calving down at 24 months.
In cattle, puberty is dependent on weight not age - with puberty beginning when a heifer reaches 40% of its mature body weight. Heifers which have shown heat at least twice before insemination for the first time at 15 months have the best fertility and the best chance of getting pregnant.
The average dairy calf faces many potential stressors in the preweaning period including birth, transportation, disbudding/castration, weaning and mixing.
Most of these stressors are inevitable in calf rearing production systems but are manageable if the calf timeline is considered.
Early turnout to grass can be hugely beneficial in terms of improving daily liveweight gain and calf health whilst also reducing rearing costs. However, the turnout phase is again another time in the calves lives where we are introducing them to a new environment, therefore there are a few things we can do to make this time a little less stressful.
A hot topic among many farmers and vets is the issue of Mycoplasma. With New Zealand enforcing an aggressive culling policy on infected cows it raises the questions; do we know enough about it? Are we being proactive? So it goes without saying that prevention is better than a cure, especially when discussing calf health and performance.
Calves are born with no immunity and rely on colostrum to gain immunity against disease, with colostrum being the first feed, cleanliness is so important. By following simple steps and putting hygiene protocols in place you can minimise the risk of disease in calves.
Pneumonia is a common major issue, which is estimated to cost the UK cattle industry over £50 million each year. Early identification, treatment and prevention protocols are essential for the animal’s growth performance and of course your pocket!
Over 70% of the calf’s immune system is housed in the gut. So, a healthy microbiome regulates and promotes good immune function. Good bacteria also compete with harmful pathogens in the young gut. Disruptions to the gut microbiome can impact health and cause issues like dysbiosis and scour.
The weather is getting cooler and you don’t want your calves to experience cold stress. Calves' lower critical temperature is 15ºc, so you don’t want them to be putting energy into keeping warm instead of growth and keeping healthy.
Cold Stress in newborn calves significantly decreases the rate of absorption of immunoglobulins up to 15 hours after first feed of colostrum making them more susceptible to certain diseases. Also putting energy into keeping warm instead of growing results in lower growth rates.
