Calf Scours: Treatment and Prevention
Anyone that is in farming knows the name of the game is to make money, but there is a thin line that everyone walks. All it takes is a few minutes to go from making a profit to a huge loss. When a calf is born there is a promise of profit and growth, but a calf with the scours is a promise of a possible loss. If you follow a few guidelines they can stay on the green side of the profit line.
What are scours? What are they caused by?
Scours are diarrhea in calves. They can be caused by several viruses plus some stress factors. Calves commonly contract scours anywhere between 3-16 days of life but can contract them at any age.
What are some signs of scours?
Scours can be indicated by diarrhea, dehydration, and weakness. Another sign of scours in calves is rough hair and coat. Scours are particularly dangerous as they cause fluid loss, which can lead to dehydration and loss of nutrients.
How can scours be prevented?
Number 1- Provide sanitary or at least a clean calving area. It does not have to be a million-dollar birthing barn to accomplish this. A barn that has been cleaned of manure and other waste with nice clean bedding of straw would be perfect.
Number 2- Ensure the calf gets a healthy dose of colostrum. It is preferred it is colostrum from the calf’s mother, but colostrum supplements will do if necessary. The Manna Pro Colostrum or the Ultra Start 150 and Ultra Start 150 Plus Colostrum Replacers will give the calf the building blocks needed to jump-start the immune system to be able to fight off the pathogens that are the leading cause of scours. Either of these colostrum supplies needs to be administered within hours of being born to decrease the chances of the pathogens taking a hold.
Number 3- House the mother and calf separately from the rest of the herd, if possible, for a time. The pair being separated will reduce the avenue that the calf will have to come into contact with pathogens and bacteria. This alone time will give the calf more opportunities to get as much colostrum as possible before the mother stops producing it. Colostrum is only available for a limited time, so the faster the calf gets it, the better the chances the calf has of not getting scours.
Number 4- Vaccinate the mother before calving. Scours caused by viruses can easily be avoided by vaccinating the mother. Some vaccinations recommended are the Calf-Guard Rota-Coronavirus Vaccine, Scour Bos 9 Vaccine, and the Scour Bos 4 Vaccine.
How can scours be treated?
You can treat scours by fluid therapy, or pushing a lot of fluids in the calf’s body, followed by antibiotics to prevent more infections from entering the body.
If you follow these tips as close as you can and pay attention to your animals, you can help reduce the chances of losing a calf. The farming industry is a numbers game so play the game with the highest numbers in your favor. Visit our livestock section for more products to aid you against scours!
