Some Calf Care Tips To Reduce Calf Scours

Scours (diarrhea) is one of the most common and costly diseases that can affect newborn calves. On average, scours accounts for 36% of all death losses between birth and 30 days of age. The economic loss for the producer can be higher than $50 per calf born or $150 - $200 per scouring calf. These losses include the cost of dead calves, stunted calves, labour and medication.

The cause and spread of calf scours can vary from farm to farm and depends on a number of factors.

The most important contributing factor are the farm environment, the animals, and infectious agents.

The environment to which a newborn calf is exposed has a major influence on whether or not the calf will develop scours. Crowded conditions cause high levels of contamination of the calf’s environment. These conditions increase the chance that a calf will come in contact with infected fecal material containing large numbers of potentially harmful viruses and bacteria.

Another environmental factor contributing to the cause of scours is cold, wet weather which causes stress and lowers a calf’s resistance to infectious agents.

Sound nutrition for cows and heifers is very important to ensure they produce colostrum that transfers adequate protection against the infectious agents causing scours. Cows and heifers should be on a good quality ration prior to and during the calving season. Your veterinarian can provide sound advice on your feeding program and make recommendations based on your farm’s layout. This will help reduce the risk of environment induced scours.

Calves that develop signs of scours generally have lower resistance to infectious agents. Signs of scours include severe watery diarrhea, dehydration, depression, an inability to walk or stand, and eventually death.

Treatment of the scouring calf involves:

• providing as stress free an environment as possible;
• providing an anti-bacterial agent to combat bacterial scours and secondary infections;
• replenishing the fluids and electrolytes lost in the diarrhea (orally or, in severe cases, intravenously)

Because your farm operation is unique, you may require a particular response or treatment to calf scours. See you Veterinarian for sound advice on ways to ensure higher levels of resistance in your calves.

VET TIPS to prevent a Scours Outbreak

• Place cows on a balanced ration throughout pregnancy.
• Use a commercial Scours vaccine prior to calving to help provide protection via colostrum.
• Move cows into the calving area two weeks before the start of calving.
• Provide plenty of clean, dry bedding.
• Move the cow ad calf to a nursing area separate from the cows that have not yet calved within one day of calving.
• Make sure calves ingest 10% of their body weight of colostrum within 12 hours of birth.
• Fill nursing area with 35 - 40 cow/calf pairs per 12 acres, then start a new area.
• Be sure to isolate sick calves and cows.
• Move cow/calf pairs to clean pasture within 4 - 6 weeks after calving.