mixed farm
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We have hutches and I like them but pneumonia can still be an issue with them. Damp/misty weather and they're better off In sheds.
do you know if the colostrum is any good and how much the suckling calves are taking though? Do you test colostrum? Sometimes we see a calf suckling but it will still take over 2l from a bottle within the first 3-4 hrs!Not over crowed, had nearly 30 calves in each building a few years ago before I have a pneumonia problem currently their is 12 in one 11 in the other. Dust when bedding down isn’t much of a problem as they are bedded with round bales of straw so is just a job of push the bale round until it’s unrolled it’s self.
There is no other cattle in the building close by and colostrum management is if I see the calf suckling it’s mother in the first few hours I leave it well alone, if like today I’ve had an heifer that’s calved and isn’t bothered about mothering the calf, I’ll milk her and feed the calf as soon as possible (normally in the first few hours).
Yes I have brought in a few cows but these are normally fresh calved at the time of purchase.
you need to take vet advice on that as it will depend on what virus is causing the problem and if you are then getting bacterial involvement (antibiotics no good for virus alone)What would you recommend for pneumonia treatment?
18 months ago I got my vet to test some calves infected with pneumonia and they came back as mycorplasma hence why he told me to use zupremo and draxxin as treatment. When I last discussed it with him he said they weren’t getting better as they were now getting ringworm as well but still thought it was mycroplasmayou need to take vet advice on that as it will depend on what virus is causing the problem and if you are then getting bacterial involvement (antibiotics no good for virus alone)
Currently having serious issues with calves getting pneumonia, to the extent that it’s keeping me wake at night and stressed all the time about it and should of asked for help earlier
I’ll be straight with you, calf sheds/housing is poor, old buildings with tin roofs and not all good ventilation. Been rearing calves in these old building for the last 4 years (ever since I starting rearing some of my own dairy replacements) and last year was the first year I experienced a problem with pneumonia. There are more calves going through the sheds now than 4 years ago BUT are only in these old type building until weaning and then they are moved to a better old building with tested well to a “smoke bomb” test as it is not only larger but has an open ridge, ( where they first go after being token off their mothers being a closed ridge roof) where as 4 years ago when they went into these old poor buildings they stayed in their til they were turned out in the summer.
Many of you will comment, “ replace the buildings, it’s the building fault”, well I cannot agree with you more BUT I have already looked down this root and would need planning permission which will take months to get going where as at the moment I’m looking for a quick fix. I have got funds available to build a new shed but currently these funds are being put towards a new milking parlour which is in the planning phase and wouldn’t be able to fund both a parlour and a new calf rearing shed.
Last spring I was losing calves to scours, got the vet to take some dung samples, came back as rotavirus so started vaccinating cows at drying off and apart from a few where the calves didn’t get their mothers colostrum I’ve not had a problem. Is there anything similar I can use for pneumonia prevention? Have starting using calf jackets in hope that this will help, is there anything else I could be doing? Weather hasn’t been great and having big changes in temperature definitely not helping, one day last week it was 9 degrees, yesterday it barely got above freezing.
These old building originally had boskins in and were used for milking cows tied up, and are in use all year round as calve all year round. Would it be a good ideas to next summer not use the sheds and give them a rest period to kill the bug off?
The other problem is I’ve got a serious ringworm issue in the calves which the vet is saying is effecting their immune system. Tried everything, krestoting any wood in the sheds, painting the ringworm affected skin with anti bacterial spray, painting with sump oil, diesel, adding minerals to their concentrates, now trying a homophaci remedy that’s added to the water.
Treating pneumonia infected calves with Draxxin and Metacam and after a few days if there is no improvement treat them again with Zupremo and metacam if they still have a temperature.
Just rearing the friesian heifer calves at the moment and it’s these that are been affected with the ringworm and pneumonia, fed milk replacer at the strongest concentration until weaning around 10-12 weeks. All bull calves and beef calves are being nurse cow fed and sold at around 4-6 weeks old to a local calf dealer.
What else should I be doing, should I be expecting these loses? I am at my wits end as it is seriously depressing losing calves as I can’t see how thing are improving.
I can feel your distress, got similar situation some years ago myself. You have a number of problems. Once the virus gets in,you have a host of infection which is extremely difficult to control.Do you vaccinate for pneumonia, if not get them done with rispoval intranasal. Definitely a big help. Also we used to vaccinate for ringworm, did it for 2 years and had no bother since.
What would you recommend for pneumonia treatment?
Tried vaccinating for ringworm and it didn’t work they still got it.1. do some more bloods from recovered calves for mycoplasma antibodies, it's a bugger to deal with.
2. if you can't move calves, order a forced ventilation tube tomorrow. They really do help.
3. vaccinate for ringworm, it really does knock them and make everything else worse.
4. I assume you know your BVD status?
5 once you know the cause then look at vaccination options. It sounds like mycoplasma and there are no commercial vaccines available. +
6. get some bloods to check colostrum management is adequate. What age do you dehorn?
7. Draxxin/Zuprevo/Zactran are so similar. Follow up with something different
This is very fixable.
Will take a look but I am told this pneumonia is a viral thing so spreads calf to calf, not saying they won’t work but need to wait on results from the vet firstThere are some secondhand hutches for sale on 'British Farming Forum on Facebook'. They're in Staffs / Derbys border. Surely worth a try?
Chlorined antibiotic powder? Where do I get this from and does it really work?We vaccinate all calves with bovipast. But they were still coughing so vet took some bloods which showed theyd had exposure to Mycoplasma bacteria which will damage lung tissue.
We now mix Chlorimed antibiotic powder in with there milk and calves are happier again
Chlorined antibiotic powder? Where do I get this from and does it really work?
We now mix Chlorimed antibiotic powder in with there milk and calves are happier again