Two thousand years ago Hippocrates stated that “All disease begins in the gut”. Science research has now recognized that gut health is paramount to calf health.
Calf diarrhea is still a big challenge on so many UK dairy farms; unfortunately, it is often also a gateway disease to other issues, increasing the risk of pneumonia by eight times. Precision Microbes believes “all health begins in the gut” so, we are revolutionizing the gut health market with a unique probiotic and postbiotic liquid.
Life without TB no doubt would make farming a happier, more profitable experience for many of us. Saying this some have adapted within their areas and founded their businesses due to the disease, but we still need to aim to reduce the total number herds under restriction.
Diarrhoea in the young calf is a commonly occurring challenge on many farms. Recent research by MSD Animal Health, completed as part of their Youngstock Survey, indicated that 90% of dairy farms had experienced scour in calves in the previous 12 months and that over 65% had experienced mortality due to scour. Diarrhoea is reported as a major cause of morbidity and mortality in early life, which can result in significant economic losses and potential welfare challenges.
A team approach involving calf rearers, vets and nutritionists are central to the successful management of scours. Sharing ideas in order to develop a common approach, with clear protocols, can really support consistent management on the farm.
Salmonella infection can have serious economic consequences on farm, presenting itself in a multitude of different ways and also posing a zoonotic risk to humans.
There are several different groups of Salmonella, only two of which we can vaccinate for (Salmonella Dublin and Salmonella Typhimurium). We often see issues with Salmonella infections in youngstock and taking the time to assess the risks on your own farm can help identify if improvements can be made to reduce the spread of the disease.
Some worm species can cause significant damage when the larvae emerge in the spring (Type II Ostertagiasis). Therefore, it is crucial to treat the housing with a solution that will eradicate the worms' eggs.
This summer, there have been reports of lungworm infestations at high levels across the nation. Any sub-clinical lungworm that may be present will be eliminated with treatment at housing.
In order to give the animals' lungs a chance to recuperate, it's crucial to treat them with a proper wormer before housing if they are displaying clinical lungworm symptoms. There is a greater danger of the animals acquiring pneumonia at housing if the lungs have been harmed by lungworm.
Instead of postponing or providing no treatment at all, treating cattle for fluke at housing can aid in accelerating growth and lowering stress levels in the animals. Because a cow's liver is big and can support a heavier fluke burden, abrupt deaths are uncommon in cattle. Subclinical illness brought on by a fluke, however, is possible and can be expensive due to the influence it can have on lowered weight gain.
Whether a dairy or beef herd, the ultimate goal of rearing is to get calves off to the best possible start to ensure they reach their maximum production potential.
Exposure to challenges, for example, scours or respiratory disease can eat into farm profits by negatively impacting calves’ health status and physical performance. Calf rearers are encouraged to uphold good management practices in order to effectively avoid diseases occurring in the first place.
With rising costs of production, including energy, water and milk replacers, farmers may be tempted to look for potential savings when it comes to feeding calves.
Whether finding yourself in the position of considering moving from milk replacer to whole milk, or rethinking how you feed whole milk, pasteurisation must be explored.
