Dairy Calves - News

Six Straw Alternatives to Get You Through a Bedding Shortage

Wed, 14 Dec 2022 17:49:45 GMT

Weather conditions certainly took a toll on this years wheat crop, leaving straw in short supply for some farmers. This commonly used bedding material is the ideal choice for calves during the winter time. However, here are six bedding alternatives to consider when straw supplies get tight:

Chopped Corn Stalks - If you’ve just harvested a field of corn, consider saving the leftover stalks for bedding. They are widely available and very absorbent.

Chopped Soybean Hulls - Similar to corn stalks, this bedding alternative can be found soon after harvest and can be used to help keep calves clean and dry.

Wood Shavings - One of the most common alternatives to straw bedding is wood shavings. This material performs similarly to straw and provides a clean spot for calves to nest.

Almond Shells - Ground almond shells, usually found out west, can be used to help soak up excess moisture and keep dry and clean.

Peanut Hulls - Down south, this absorbent organic material can be ground to make a fine bedding similar to wood shavings.

Shredded Paper - Chopped recycled newsprint can be used for bedding and is relatively inexpensive. Consider reaching out to a nearby recycling facility to see if they can custom chop used paper.

For more on bedding materials, read:

3 Causes of Blood Calf Stools (Calf Scours)

Wed, 09 Nov 2022 17:44:07 GMT

The sight of bloody calf scours is a disturbing one, but the condition is not always fatal. University of Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory director Keith Poulsen says pinpointing the cause of scours through diagnostics is the best approach to effective treatment, and prevention of future cases.

“The source of scours tends to follow a continuum consistent with age of the calf,” Poulsen told the audience at the recent Dairy Calf and Heifer Association annual conference. “Scours in the first few days of life is very challenging to diagnose. But after that, it becomes easier to nail down the cause based on how old the animal is.”

Poulsen pointed out that not all scours are caused by bacteria. Viruses and parasites also play a role, and inconsistent feeding or rapid dietary changes can upset the gut flora and cause “nutritional” scours.

“If you see bloody scours, they typically are the result of one of three organisms – Salmonella, coronavirus or coccidia” said Poulsen. “These three causes may overlap a bit in age, but knowing about the presence of blood, the calf’s age, and other factors such as seasonality, helps us zero in on the necessary diagnostic tests pretty quickly.” His descriptions of each organisms include:

Salmonella

The earliest cases of bloody scours likely will be caused by a strain of salmonella, and typically will surface when calves are 4 to 10 days old. Salmonella is a bacteria that likes the warm and humid summer temperatures, but is very adaptive to survive in odd environments like the dry and dusty corners of a calf barn. Poulsen stressed that there are many serotypes of salmonella that are pathogenic to calves, some of which also can be highly infective in humans. Salmonella Newport is one such zoonotic bacteria that frequent infects human caretakers. Salmonella Dublin, although uncommon, can cause serious illness in humans. Salmonella Heidelberg has emerged recently as a highly potent calf-killer, causing death losses in 25 to 60% of affected calves in as swiftly as 4 to 8 hours. S. Heidelberg is resistant to many antibiotics, and has now been diagnosed in people and cattle in 17 states.

Coronavirus

Coronavirus and its usual companion, rotavirus, surface in calves from about 5 to 30 days of age. While the two often occur in tandem, coronavirus is the one that causes bloody scours, and also may cause respiratory symptoms. About 70% of adult cows shed coronavirus in their feces, and it has a long survival life on-farm, surviving in manure for up to 9 months. Often called “winter dysentery,” coronavirus loves cold weather, and also can be spread from calf-to-calf.

Coccidiosis

Infection by the coccidia parasite can occur from 1-2 weeks to several months of age. The parasite has a 3-week incubation period from the time of infection to the shedding infectious parasites into the environment. Most of these infections (95%) are subclinical, but other stressors on the animal, and/or an overwhelming dose of coccidia will cause visible symptoms, including the tell-tale presence of blood in the stool. Coccidiosis occurs more frequently in warm, moist climates; a hard frost is helpful in breaking its reproduction cycle in the environment.

How do you treat a calf with blood in its stool?

Interestingly, the three causes of bloody scours are three different types of organisms – a bacteria, a virus and a parasite. Poulsen stressed that antibiotics only are effective on bacteria. And even if the cause is a bacterial, not every bug will succumb to every drug.

“This shows the importance of diagnostic work,” he stated. “For example, coronavirus often is confused with Salmonella because they present similar symptoms in a parallel timeframe. But effectively treating and preventing the two diseases requires different approaches.”

In all cases of calf scours, Poulsen said supportive therapy such as extra fluids and pain management often will best serve the calf. If the cause is bacterial, antibiotic sensitivity testing may be necessary to select the most effective treatment and bring an outbreak under control.

“The more information you and your veterinarian can provide at the beginning of the diagnostic process, the more helpful information you will receive back,” stated Poulsen. “We strive to provide answers in a timely and cost-effective manner, which we can do best with more information at the start.”

For more on calf management, read:

Keep Milk Warm Before You Feed It

Fri, 11 Feb 2022 20:33:11 GMT

In winter, it’s important—even critical—to keep milk at 100 to 105°F when feeding it to young calves to maintain their body temperatures and conserve energy, says Ann Hoskins, a calf products coordinator for Vita Plus.

“Consistency is also important, and if you live in an area where the temperature constantly fluctuates, you must adjust your protocols accordingly,” she says.

Also consider where you store milk replacer. If it’s in an unheated room, simply adding cold milk replacer powder to water can drastically reduce the temperature of the mix. Ditto for mixing and feeding equipment.

She offers these 7 tips to keep milk and milk replacer warm before calves consume it:

• Use an insulated tank to store prepared milk replacer as you transport it and disburse it to calves.

• Wrap the tank and/or bottles in a sleeping bag prior to distribution.

• Use spray foam on the distribution tank to insulate it.

• If you are feeding a lot of calves, mix multiple batches.

• Use lids on pails to retain heat.

• If feeding in bottles, build an insulated storage box out of Styrofoam or wood while transporting the milk to calves.

• Consider placing bottles in a warm water bath during transport, although this can be wet and uncomfortable for calf feeders as they distribute bottles.

Finally, Hoskins recommends taking temperatures during the mixing and feeding process to ensure temps stay within range. “Make sure the last calf’s milk temperature still falls between 100 and 105°F,” she says. “Always feed youngest to oldest to make sure the youngest calves get the warmest milk.”

For more on keeping milk warm, click here .