Stuart1
Member
How often do you come across crypto now? I done 20 cows last week with rotavac, will continue to do them. Prevention is cheap. It fairly knocks the thrive off them!
Calf scour
- Thread starter Jdunn55
- Start date
Can go for a couple of months and not see any, then get half a dozen calves in a row that all take it, we then use parafor until we get it under control again. Rotavec would be easier if it worked. Can you jag with rotavec at drying off?
Stuart1
Member
Yes you can jag at drying off. I plan on doing that but done the dry cows which where eligible (21+ days off calving). Il update you when I calf a good few to see how the calves are.
kp_n_plghng
Member
Had a meeting about this not long ago and they were saying that Rotavec doesn't protect against crypto it just reduces the chance of the calf getting it because the calf is under less pressure from rotavirus. If you have a crypto pressure you will still end up treating some for crypto but maybe less, so could be worth it for some people.
- Location
- Northern Ireland
As far as I understand after speaking this week with our vet, rotavac does not prevent crypto. It helps prevent rotavirus only but as a result reduces the potential scour burden on the calves. Hence why it is recommended when farms have a crypto problem that they also vaccinate with rotavac(around £6 per doses, 3 to 12 weeks prior to calving)
Edit- @kp_n_plghng beat me to it
If you count the cost of treatment and losing some calves, £6/dose would be good value.
- Location
- Northern Ireland
Yes, we use it and think it is worth it. Mainly because I find sick calves the most annoying thing on the farm so aim for as much prevention as possible. £11 per dose in our other local vets so need to price check first
- Location
- somerset
calves are designed to drink cows milk.
any thing different, alters that milk, animal fats are replaced by vegetable fats, nothing really wrong with that, it works, but.
Putting antibiotics into calves, halocur, has a positive effect, on disease, but a very negative to the calves good bugs - it kills those bugs. So you have 2 negatives, and they hold the calf back.
Powder is fine, if you use enough, is fine, when there is little challenge to the calf.
We had crypto once, horrible, but once identified, new shed and halocur, that one batch only.
It was partly our fault, dry cows were on kale, and we forgot iodine, so calves were dopey, and then it got in.
Rota-vac is good, but why do you only feed colostrum x2 ? You have to chuck it away for 3 days, so feed it, its easier than mixing powder.
Watching farmer phill on u'tube, he was collecting scour, testing it himself, for crypto, rota etc, by how it reacted to strips, in the sample pot, never come across anything like that, but it looked a damn good weapon for quick results.
Dead Rabbits
Member
- Location
- 'Merica
I use a zoetis product which I’m fairly certain is made in the UK. Wonder why the price difference
Jdunn55
Member
- Location
- Helston, cornwall
Any ideas why my calves are still dying?
They're all treated with halocure, still scouring at 3 weeks and lost one the other day and got another that's going to die overnight
Absolutely sick of loosing them when I'm doing everything by the book
They're all treated with halocure, still scouring at 3 weeks and lost one the other day and got another that's going to die overnight
Absolutely sick of loosing them when I'm doing everything by the book
What age does the scouring start? How many days are you giving them electrolytes for before they die? How ill are they before you administer electrolytes? Could be a number of things probably rotavirus @1-3 weeks. Could be cocci if it's over that.
Are you moving to them to a new location after halocur? Halocur will only work if the calf sees crypto when it's administered. It won't work on a calf that's moves day 7 into an infected building.
Are you moving to them to a new location after halocur? Halocur will only work if the calf sees crypto when it's administered. It won't work on a calf that's moves day 7 into an infected building.
- Location
- Northern Ireland
Have you had any recent dung tests done to check it is still crypto? Are they going down with it in your new bale shanty town or the original shed? I’m sure you’ll know that it’s dehydration killing them rather than the scour directly, are they getting 6-8 litres of electrolytes? Scour in calves is soul destroying, hope it improves for you soon
Holsteinfriesian90
Member
- Location
- Cornwall
Have you tried the parafor powder?
This isn't a cure or anything by any means, but as a little extra, try mixing some pure wood ash/fine charcoal with any calf pellets you feed them.
- Location
- somerset
if you are using halocur properly, doubt its crypto
rota corona sounds a strong possibility, we vaccinate the cows for that, and its a highly successful vaccine. Cows that calve 'out of block', may or may not get the jab, depends how many to do, its just the odd one, but those calves do not 'do' the same, as jabbed cows. That vaccine, for us, is a must do.
We have had problems, in the past, with cows being short of iodine, that produces calves that have no will to live, teat dip along cows backs, sorts that, but it is usually from i/c eating kale.
Then coccxy, a possibility.
Scour is usually the result of a problem, already in the calf, dehydration is a big danger, so electrolytes etc.
And, one of the least liked causes, are by feeding calves at very differing times, all to easy from busy farmers. But, they are babies, they need to be treated as such, although they seem hard as nails. Employing someone to 'do' your calves, is very cost effective, the regular routine gives the best result. Is it over feeding, or under, are they getting enough colostrum, for long enough, not just the first feed, or two, the more/longer they have it, the more immunity from the cow, they get, its cheap medicine, and you don't feed much, l think you said.
And finally, what does your vet say, taken samples, done a pm ? He should be the one to tell you, if its a disease, or if its environmental, but till you know that, you are beating your head against a brick wall, and its costing serious money.
Dead Rabbits
Member
- Location
- 'Merica
As others have said figuring out what they have is key to making progress towards prevention rather than treating symptoms.
I’m not really interested in testing any calves here as we have a good procedure in place if a problem starts. It’s better to start sooner than later.
My experience is many things can stress a calf but ultimately they die of dehydration above all else.
Injecting fluids is under the skin is highly effective, can’t stress that enough. Halocur or any of those treatments for crypto are unavailable here. We also offer free choice sodium bicarbonate and if a calf is on electrolytes it gets raw eggs mixed in. We never touched electrolytes this year. And we have had it all in the past, anything you can name that a calf can get. I’ve been involved with well over 4000 calves in a challenging environment these past few years I’ve seen a few things.
I’m not really interested in testing any calves here as we have a good procedure in place if a problem starts. It’s better to start sooner than later.
My experience is many things can stress a calf but ultimately they die of dehydration above all else.
Injecting fluids is under the skin is highly effective, can’t stress that enough. Halocur or any of those treatments for crypto are unavailable here. We also offer free choice sodium bicarbonate and if a calf is on electrolytes it gets raw eggs mixed in. We never touched electrolytes this year. And we have had it all in the past, anything you can name that a calf can get. I’ve been involved with well over 4000 calves in a challenging environment these past few years I’ve seen a few things.
- Location
- somerset
all calves need is right environment, right nutrition, and regular routine, if all that's taken care of, illness drops away, strong calves = healthy calves that build immunity.
More to life
Member
- Location
- Somerset
Once your at a total loss sending calves for postmortem is the only way. Does need to be done by a specialist vet tho.
- Location
- Shropshire
I'm sorry but I think that is the most unhelpful comment on the thread. When you are in the midst of a disease outbreak you question everything.
I've been rearing hundreds of calves every spring for the last 8 or so years, with minimal losses. I haven't changed anything this year and I am having a horrendous time with crypto. Someone coming along and saying 'oh but you just have to do it the right way' is really insulting.
@Jdunn55 you have my sympathy, it's soul destroying.