18 November 2009
A new step-by-step approach to improving the management of calf scour problems is helping dairy farmers cut the costs of this debilitating disease.
Working with farm animal practices across the UK, Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health is promoting a simple 5-step approach to tackling any disease problems.
According to Paul Williams MRCVS, livestock veterinary adviser with the company, the sheer prevalence of infectious scour agents in the farm environment means it is vital that calf producers keep scour disease prevention programmes under constant review.
“Calves are the future of the herd and an important part of keeping dairy and suckler unit performance on track is preventing and controlling calf scour. Evaluating herd and farm management practices, properly diagnosing any infectious bacteria or viruses and checking colostrum feeding practices are essential steps in resolving this costly problem.
Results from the Intervet/Schering-Plough subsidised faecal diagnostic service, ScourCheck, show just how prevalent the scour disease threat is in the UK. “Tests on samples taken from over 400 UK farms in 2009 show rotavirus being the most common infectious agent, detected in 36% of samples. Cryptosporidia was found in 29% of samples, coronavirus in 26% and E.coli K99 in 6%,” Paul Williams says.
“On site testing kits are now available, which means your vet can often give you a diagnosis of what might be causing a scour problem within minutes of collecting the samples. This diagnostic work, coupled with a discussion about calf management and the type of animals affected, will often lead to a pretty accurate diagnosis of any problem on a farm. And once you’re reasonably sure of the cause of a scour outbreak, you can then put an action plan in place to reduce the chances of it happening again,” he says.
Farmers interested in more details on the 5-step scour management programme should contact their vet.
