Calf scour

[Headless chicken]

No they stop drinking about a day maybe 2 days before qnd then I start tubing them, this one that's about to die is also bloated

Absolutely gutted, everything had been going so well until now qnd thought I was finally doing a somewhat decent job

Your doing a perfectly fine job. We all have it. We had ecoli run through ours totally sole destroying. I never ever get stressed other than when calves your desperately trying to save die on you. Tomorrow’s a new day. Get up and go again.

 

[Stinker]

Had crypto here for years and lost very few calves. Get the halocur into all your calves for 7 days, it won't stop the ones coming down with it in the next couple of days but will stop the rest. Like I said on the previous post pinch test every calf at every feeding until you have it under control. The calves will get over it fine as long as you keep the fluids going in. Some calves may recover in 24 hours others may need treating for up to a week. Keep the milk going in if they will still take it but don't panic if they don't. The most important thing is electrolytes short term. If they are severely hydrated then treat 4 times a day if you have to. Crypto isn't the killer it dehydration that kills them.

 

[Tsa115]

Swear by rotavec here. Had some hassle with crypto in the the autumn . started on claves off heifers which were not rotaveced, vet says rotavirus is the gateway to crypto

 

[Spudley]

We've just come through the most horrendous batch of heifer calvings we've ever had. Last year I might have pulled 3 or 4 out if 35 and this year maybe that many have calved themselves. One calved 3/4, one calved 1/4 () and we spent over an hour one night getting one into the parlour for the first time. They have been an absolute nightmare. Chin up, at least you know what the problem is now and hopefully you will be able to get through it OK now.

 

[In the pit]

We've just come through the most horrendous batch of heifer calvings we've ever had. Last year I might have pulled 3 or 4 out if 35 and this year maybe that many have calved themselves. One calved 3/4, one calved 1/4 () and we spent over an hour one night getting one into the parlour for the first time. They have been an absolute nightmare. Chin up, at least you know what the problem is now and hopefully you will be able to get through it OK now.

I always make sure heifers run through the parlour for a few weeks before calving
Saves stressing them after they’ve calved
What do you put the loss of quarters down too

 

[Dairyfarmer2016]

Make sure if you go down the halocure route you dose them on a full belly

 

[lazy farmer]

I always make sure heifers run through the parlour for a few weeks before calving
Saves stressing them after they’ve calved
What do you put the loss of quarters down too

Spot on. We run the heifers as part of the whole herd through the parlour every morning through January. After a Week or so. They do it themselves as a way of getting back to the cubicles. we load the wagon whilst they do it. It makes life soo much easier later on.

 

[Spudley]

I always make sure heifers run through the parlour for a few weeks before calving
Saves stressing them after they’ve calved
What do you put the loss of quarters down too

we normally put them in the herd for a few weeks too, this was before calving. I think we had every spare gate trying to guide her in, but in the end it was an old cow wandered back to see why we were still in the parlour who showed her the way.
The bad quarters I unfortunately think was due to summer mastitis in one case and suckling in the other.

 

[Jdunn55]

we normally put them in the herd for a few weeks too, this was before calving. I think we had every spare gate trying to guide her in, but in the end it was an old cow wandered back to see why we were still in the parlour who showed her the way.
The bad quarters I unfortunately think was due to summer mastitis in one case and suckling in the other.

If it makes you feel better of the 5 I calved yesterday 1 is 2 quartered and another is 3 quartered both calved in as heifers like it last year

 

[Jdunn55]

Thanks everyone, still pee'd off with myself, should have known better. I even rang the vets last week and asked them to bring a spot test thing with them when they come to tb test my calves (was hoping it would be all clear and wouldn't need to do anything)

I've given all the calves halocure tonight (after feeding milk), 8ml for smaller xalves and 12ml for the bigger ones

Regarding rotavec what stage of gestation do you need to do it for it to work?

 

[Holsteinfriesian90]

Thanks everyone, still pee'd off with myself, should have known better. I even rang the vets last week and asked them to bring a spot test thing with them when they come to tb test my calves (was hoping it would be all clear and wouldn't need to do anything)

I've given all the calves halocure tonight (after feeding milk), 8ml for smaller xalves and 12ml for the bigger ones

Regarding rotavec what stage of gestation do you need to do it for it to work?

Just jab at drying off anything 3 weeks before calving and up to 3 months.

 

[Spudley]

I was trying to cheer YOU up! Thank you. Sometimes it helps to know that other people have problems too. Makes the job a bit less lonely.

 

[Jdunn55]

I was trying to cheer YOU up! Thank you. Sometimes it helps to know that other people have problems too. Makes the job a bit less lonely.

Sorry I thought it was all things dairy
It definitely does, makes me feel slightly less sh!t knowing everyone else has problems, seem to fix one and find 10 all the time I know that's farming to a degree but just something about the fact I've been so stressed about doing everything right and Ives still managed to do it wrong that's really got to me

 

[Water Wheel]

You will never get everything right, there is always a new problem round the corner, I've been at it nearly 50 years and there is always somthing about to jump up and bite you.
I know it can drag you down, but try to view each problem as a new, interesting, challenge not as a fault on your part.
If it was simple everyone would be doing it.

 

[Spudley]

Don't beat yourself up. It sounds like you are doing your best and that's all you can do. There will always be challenges and problems, face them, learn from them, and move on.

 

[sidjon]

Yeah we took out 2 vet students with it. Told them not to kiss the calves and take pictures for Instagram....but what do I know

Every vet student we have during calving gets crypto, had one in hospital, even after being told not to kiss calves

 

[som farmer]

Thanks everyone, still pee'd off with myself, should have known better. I even rang the vets last week and asked them to bring a spot test thing with them when they come to tb test my calves (was hoping it would be all clear and wouldn't need to do anything)

I've given all the calves halocure tonight (after feeding milk), 8ml for smaller xalves and 12ml for the bigger ones

Regarding rotavec what stage of gestation do you need to do it for it to work?

between 2weeks and 2 months, would thoroughly recommend you do it, unfortunately its about £6.50 a dose.
Feed your 'good' calves first, and keep them separate from the 'bad' ones, plenty of disinfectant between. Its a real pia, and remember the saying, first loss, best loss, you don't have the time to pee about with no hopers, they soon look like a yes or a no hope, if borderline, they probably wont 'do'.
Don't waste your time, you have to much else to do, that's probably more worthwhile, so don't get 'behind' on your normal 'chores'. Good luck, chin up, and keep going, spring is just around the corner.

 

[lazy farmer]

We have crypto regularly some years worse than others. Here it’s a pain and we do use halacour for it.but because we are ad-lib milk feeders we neverhave to use electrolytes for dehydration.

 

[Stinker]

You can overdo hygiene with crypto in my opinion. I get a very good response to Halocur and I believe that is because I make no special effort to stop the calves seeing crypto soon after birth. I used to try and rear calves in new sites, cleaning everything to the extreme but they would always see crypto in the end and usually after giving them halocur. Now I accept it and the Halocur allows them to build an imunity without getting sick. Whether I build up resistance issues long term I am not sure.

 

[Dead Rabbits]

I’d like to se a facility that could actually be cleaned effectively enough to kill crypto completely. It’s incredibly hard to kill