Crypto in calves.

Calved first 20 of 100 fine no problems then had couple scour really bad. Didn’t mess about and got tested. Everything else clear but definite crypto in all 3 calves tested and didn’t come as a surprise as we vaccinate and are sticklers for colostrum,

Was pulling my hair out. Every single calve by day 9/10 had got it. Kept going with electrolytes 3 X a day but couldn’t get on top despite some very expensive potions and finally a few bottles of halocur. Lost a couple but most pulled through usually with a bald ass.

Was disinfecting ourselves/feeders/pens/sheds between calves with best crypto disinfect I could buy. Jumping sheds every 15 calves, snatching calves and trying to calve outdoors as much as possible but getting nowhere.

Brought it up with Chap that has my calves when telling him calves would be delayed and all our troubles and he suggested we check our water.

We usually use well but had to fire up the borehole in the dry weather. Checked uv bulb and seemed ok but ordered a new one anyway.

Blitzed the water tank and all the lines with really strong Hypo soak and added airline to clear iron out the pipes.
Replacing the bulb I found the glass tube was furred up with a layer of iron which doesn’t happen in the well but did on borehole, which rendered it useless.

By this point we were dreading the calves being born.

Anyway. 3 weeks on, not a single calve scouring or being treated with anything. They are all going great guns again. We are just over half way now and it amazes me how something so simple that vets nor few sales people that came and I spoke too never suggested it. 🙄

UV doing it’s job and adding 200ml hypo to tank twice a day and testing so 3ppm of chlorine in there.


just maybe someone might read this and help them several weeks quicker than helped me!
 
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How big a tank are you adding 200ml hypo 2x day? That water just for calves or for the robots too?

Water does everything (including us :oops:) although everything going to robots and bulk tank has a .3% peracetic acid through a dosatron as final rinse.
Adding 200ml to a 3000l tank. It soon dilutes down but everyone can tell it's in there and i may well put a metered dosing unit on the supply at some point but at the moment i'm just grateful the calves are back on track. Test kit was only a few quid for 150 test strips on Amazon so trail and error until i worked out the right amount.

I chucked a whole 25l can in to disinfect the tank and lines.
 
Calved first 20 of 100 fine no problems then had couple scour really bad. Didn’t mess about and got tested. Everything else clear but definite crypto in all 3 calves tested and didn’t come as a surprise as we vaccinate and are sticklers for colostrum,

Was pulling my hair out. Every single calve by day 9/10 had got it. Kept going with electrolytes 3 X a day but couldn’t get on top despite some very expensive potions and finally a few bottles of halocur. Lost a couple but most pulled through usually with a bald ass.

Was disinfecting ourselves/feeders/pens/sheds between calves with best crypto disinfect I could buy. Jumping sheds every 15 calves, snatching calves and trying to calve outdoors as much as possible but getting nowhere.

Brought it up with Chap that has my calves when telling him calves would be delayed and all our troubles and he suggested we check our water.

We usually use well but had to fire up the borehole in the dry weather. Checked uv bulb and seemed ok but ordered a new one anyway.

Blitzed the water tank and all the lines with really strong Hypo soak and added airline to clear iron out the pipes.
Replacing the bulb I found the glass tube was furred up with a layer of iron which doesn’t happen in the well but did on borehole, which rendered it useless.

By this point we were dreading the calves being born.

Anyway. 3 weeks on, not a single calve scouring or being treated with anything. They are all going great guns again. We are just over half way now and it amazes me how something so simple that vets nor few sales people that came and I spoke too never suggested it. 🙄

UV doing it’s job and adding 200ml hypo to tank twice a day and testing so 3ppm of chlorine in there.


just maybe someone might read this and help them several weeks quicker than helped me!
This post really got me thinking, used cold water from an open top storage tank,that's now finished and only use water from a mains supply to mix calf milk. Best post I've read on the forum
 

yin ewe

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Co Antrim
Crypto here last winter, water is gravity fed from a well which was polluted 18 months ago by a neighbour spreading slurry too close. We ran all taps for about 3 days until the water cleared, this thread has got me thinking about putting hypochlorite into the well, how much would be safe, feeds our house and dads house also. Well holds about 300g.
 
This is the link I read on shock chlorination of water systems.

couple people I spoke to emphasised the importance of try to clear as much iron build up as possible. Seems it harbours the occysts.

 
If your UV is working correctly i.e. correct size and flow, it should take out Crypto.

Completely agree but I doubt there aren't many at least down here that haven’t had iron deposits line pipes and tanks etc. even with filters and backwash systems.

How often does everyone else change their UV bulbs and do you regularly clean the glass tube as matter of course??

I thought my UV was working and even to thr point i checked the bulb was working.
 
Completely agree but I doubt there aren't many at least down here that haven’t had iron deposits line pipes and tanks etc. even with filters and backwash systems.

How often does everyone else change their UV bulbs and do you regularly clean the glass tube as matter of course??

I thought my UV was working and even to thr point i checked the bulb was working.
Funny how you mention iron,our water tank is galvanised but 55years holding water has taken its toll and inside is rusty
 

owen r

New Member
Location
west wales
We've had a crypto problem for years, calves are all fed on automatic feeder. Feeder was fed from mains water stored in a 200l barrel. This year trying our own water through UV, but not stored. Working on the theory that stored water is no longer sterile, will wait and see if it works
 
We've had a crypto problem for years, calves are all fed on automatic feeder. Feeder was fed from mains water stored in a 200l barrel. This year trying our own water through UV, but not stored. Working on the theory that stored water is no longer sterile, will wait and see if it works
We are on auto feeders straight from the mains, I don’t think you will see a difference. Personally I think we are picking it up from the cows in the straw yard. I’d say making sure the cows drinking water is clean and treated is probably the best place to start. I for one will be putting hypo in when we next calve
 

Suckndiesel

Member
Location
Newtownards
We are on auto feeders straight from the mains, I don’t think you will see a difference. Personally I think we are picking it up from the cows in the straw yard. I’d say making sure the cows drinking water is clean and treated is probably the best place to start. I for one will be putting hypo in when we next calve

I thought cows shed crypto oocysts but not be infected?
 

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