Calves dieing

[fiat100]

Anyone have any suggestions why my calves are dieing. They are calf down no problem and all get good colostrum within 4 hrs . All appear fit and healthy but within 48hrs are dead with no signs why. There are not scouring and the cows are getting dry cow nuts plus lick buckets. It's just started all of a sudden with the last 3 calves. I have the latest dead one away to a lab to see if they find anything

 

[Bald Rick]

Crypto almost certainly

But don’t rule out Salmonella.

 

[Cows 'n grass]

Do you have multiple cows in your calving yard?

My bet would be ecoli k99. You may just have one cow carrying and shedding the ecoli but showing no symptoms herself.

The first sign tends to be the calf has a stone cold nose, the next sign is it's dead.

 

[Surface Tension]

Selenium deficiency would be another possibility, check the labels on the lick buckets or whatever else they're being fed for it

 

[lazy farmer]

Crypto almost certainly

But don’t rule out Salmonella.

C

Crypto almost certainly

But don’t rule out Salmonella.

it is almost certainly not crypto.

 

[Drago]

Do you have multiple cows in your calving yard?

My bet would be ecoli k99. You may just have one cow carrying and shedding the ecoli but showing no symptoms herself.

The first sign tends to be the calf has a stone cold nose, the next sign is it's dead.

They can go from looking happy as Larry sooking milk to laying down flat out dead in 60 seconds.

 

[Bald Rick]

C

it is almost certainly not crypto.

Wouldn‘t rule it out although it does tend to strike after 7 days

 

[Beef farmer]

Crypto almost certainly

But don’t rule out Salmonella.

@bovine can calves get crypto at sub 7 days?
No scour would suggest not crypto

 

[sidjon]

E coli is most likely, had 38 calves died within 48 hours, maybe 12 years ago now, increased colostrum levels to 10% of body weight and feed this level for 36 hours, worked for us, bloody heart breaking at the time.

 

[lazy farmer]

E coli is most likely, had 38 calves died within 48 hours, maybe 12 years ago now, increased colostrum levels to 10% of body weight and feed this level for 36 hours, worked for us, bloody heart breaking at the time.

Obviously we are not there but I think this too.

 

[Llmmm]

Ecoli i bet you dont vaccinate even if they live they are a real struggle calves which are infected so young could have very little immunity from colostrum.My advice is vaccinate straight away

 

[fiat100]

Thanks for the replys. Calves all get 10% of their bodyweight in colostrum which is tested. They seem a wee bit tired or lazy in the first 48hrs

 

[Scholsey]

@bovine can calves get crypto at sub 7 days?
No scour would suggest not crypto

Bovine is MIA I think.

 

[Scholsey]

Thanks for the replys. Calves all get 10% of their bodyweight in colostrum which is tested. They seem a wee bit tired or lazy in the first 48hrs

we vaccinate cows with Bovigen which defo helps calf health especially with crypto etc

 

[Wee Willy]

we vaccinate cows with Bovigen which defo helps calf health especially with crypto etc

If it's the same as rotavec,it won't help crypto. Halocur only thing for crypto .

 

[In the pit]

Ecoli had same last year

 

[Thompyd]

2 ml of marbocyl at birth will help cover them for e-coli

 

[lazy farmer]

2 ml of marbocyl at birth will help cover them for e-coli

As a third gen our vets won’t supply.

 

[Water Wheel]

K99 was the cause in our case. Years since we suffered, but what I remember is below.

It stopped as suddenly as it started. Whole drama lasted about two weeks. We only used the expensive stuff for a couple of weeks.

Immediate response was to give an oral tube of something horrendously expensive as soon after birth as possible , but I cannot remember what it was , but was a miracle instant preventer. ( May have been Locatim but I’m not sure, think it was in a syringe when we used it. )
Clean calving pens as often as possible, spread a liberal layer of lime before rebedding.

Vaccinate all calving cows and heifers with Rotavac or similar, at least for a while.

Hope you find the cure that works for you it’s sole destroying while it’s going on.

 

[Sparkymark]

Sounds like ecoli to be within 2 days.
Horrible to watch calves die with it. Vaccinate with Bovigen now and never lost any since.
Takes 3 weeks minimum to work, so could you calve your cows in a clean temporary calving area for now?