Mycoplasma in bought in calves.

[HappyShep76]

Hello all.

We’re currently going through a nightmare time with our bought in Hereford X replacement calves. The story so far is:

May 26th we got our first batch of 73 heifer calves. They came from our usual supplier from Cheshire from whom we’ve had no problems in the past. Before they arrive with us they are disbudded (if required), vaccinated for IBR & Pneumonia. Once delivered they are given a dose of Vecoxxan as we’ve had a cocci problem previously. They’re grouped into 5 and fed with Wyvale multiple teat feeders. They’re washed with hot water/hypochlorite after each feed but not between pens.

They were dropped in the shed around midnight and at 5.30am we started to sort them into age groups. It was obvious straight away that one had issues. Very lethargic, wet chin, nasal discharge and increased respiratory rate. Long story short it died despite treatment within 48 hrs. At that time we were treating with Zactran & Meloxidyl. It had zero effect on the calf.

A month later we had the second delivery. Yet again all looked well apart from one calf with a drooping ear. No other symptoms. Temp was 105 so it was treated immediately. Later that day another calf went all lethargic and also had temp of 105. She also had watering eyes and nasal discharge. She was treated and died during the night. After getting a large number of calves suddenly showing the same symptoms and not responding to medication we had our vet out to shed light on the matter. Nasal swabs taken from sick calves and they came back positive for Mycoplasma (these calves have subsequently died after repeated illness). We changed treatments immediately to Draxxin & Meloxidyl and have had improved results.

To date we’ve had 270 calves delivered (the last being 3 weeks ago). Out of all the calves we had delivered, 78 calves have been treated of which we have lost 12 and had 7 chronic calves destroyed. On inspection their lungs were completely buggered. They were deep purple, flat and full of puss filled abscesses.

Of the other 59 calves treated, 41 have improved after a single treatment and 18 have had multiple treatments, 2 of these are unfortunately going to be put down as they will die if left alone. If we catch it very early they respond well. Literally a few hours late noticing the first symptom can cost the life of the calf. Our symptoms are the same each time: 105 temp, one/both ears down, white nasal discharge, runny eyes, slight repetitive cough and severe scours, lethargic and loss of appetite. Within 3 hours they can go from bouncing around to extremely poorly.

We are going to blood test the first group of 71 heifers for Mycoplasma as they’ve been away from the rest of the calves. If so much as one comes back positive the whole lot will go in the fattening yard. We will not keep any of this years calves for breeding. We are 90 miles from the home farm and cannot risk this getting into the 1000 suckler cows we have down there. It would be a disaster!

I was wondering if anyone else on here has/is experiencing the same thing. Any comments are welcome.

Apologies for the long post but I tried to paint a full picture for you all.

Thank you.

 

[HappyShep76]

 

[Northeastfarmer]

Think I’d be looking for a new supplier!

 

[HappyShep76]

Think I’d be looking for a new supplier!

I forgot to add that point! We’re going to purchase some Hereford bulls to keep everything “in house”.

 

[Northeastfarmer]

I forgot to add that point! We’re going to purchase some Hereford bulls to keep everything “in house”.

Probably a good idea

 

[Hampton]

I had much the same experiences last year as you are having now.
I reared about 90 calves and lost about 20. It’s devastating, and I have given my sheds a year off to try to decontaminate.
My advice would be to treat as you have done.
Vaccinate the healthy ones as soon as possible, then vaccinate with risproval 4 as soon as they are old enough. Although the vaccinations don’t prevent mycoplasma, it will stop secondary infections from other types of pneumonia. Also worming or flunking can help keep lungs healthy if needed.
Make sure you quarantine the poorly animals to a separate shed/air space to prevent further infection. Go through passports and ear tags to see if you can find any common source (I traced mine to one farm)
Be prepared for more losses. I found that one day they would drink a bit slower, I would jab them with draconian and metacam, then within 24 hours they would die.
Seem to remember a few I thought I had cured, only for them to die due to reinfection at around 6 months old.

Whatever you do keep it away from your suckler herd. They will drop like flies, even with their mothers colostrum

 

[HappyShep76]

I had much the same experiences last year as you are having now.
I reared about 90 calves and lost about 20. It’s devastating, and I have given my sheds a year off to try to decontaminate.
My advice would be to treat as you have done.
Vaccinate the healthy ones as soon as possible, then vaccinate with risproval 4 as soon as they are old enough. Although the vaccinations don’t prevent mycoplasma, it will stop secondary infections from other types of pneumonia. Also worming or flunking can help keep lungs healthy if needed.
Make sure you quarantine the poorly animals to a separate shed/air space to prevent further infection. Go through passports and ear tags to see if you can find any common source (I traced mine to one farm)
Be prepared for more losses. I found that one day they would drink a bit slower, I would jab them with draconian and metacam, then within 24 hours they would die.
Seem to remember a few I thought I had cured, only for them to die due to reinfection at around 6 months old.

Whatever you do keep it away from your suckler herd. They will drop like flies, even with their mothers colostrum

Thank you for your reply. I’m sorry to hear what you had to go through.

The poorly calves are isolated instantly and put into pens made from bales so we can discard them afterwards. They have no contact with the other calves and are fed milk in troughs of their own.

We have found that some calves we thought we’d cured constantly come around regularly with symptoms. That’s the reason we had to get rid of them. The speed of infection is scary. If we were not on the ball with this our losses could be huge.

 

[Hampton]

The speed of infection is scary. If we were not on the ball with this our losses could be huge.

Correct
But be aware of reinfection over the next few months. Ensure that you are hot on your vaccinations so the calves only have to fight mycoplasma and not a plethora of other diseases.
New Zealand culled hundreds of thousands of cattle due to this particular disease last year, but over here it is all but ignored by Defra/APHA as TB is the only thing they have funding for.

 

[HappyShep76]

Correct
But be aware of reinfection over the next few months. Ensure that you are hot on your vaccinations so the calves only have to fight mycoplasma and not a plethora of other diseases.
New Zealand culled hundreds of thousands of cattle due to this particular disease last year, but over here it is all but ignored by Defra/APHA as TB is the only thing they have funding for.

We too have researched this problem and NZ appear to have taken a no nonsense approach to their outbreak. Unfortunately for us, we have been told by one of our vets (partner in the practice) that we shouldn’t be worried about it and that TB & Johnes is much more of a worry. I wouldn’t say we were ridiculed by them but to be honest it felt very close to it. I cannot help but think the stable door is going to be closed long after the horse has bolted with this particular disease.

 

[Hampton]

We too have researched this problem and NZ appear to have taken a no nonsense approach to their outbreak. Unfortunately for us, we have been told by one of our vets (partner in the practice) that we shouldn’t be worried about it and that TB & Johnes is much more of a worry. I wouldn’t say we were ridiculed by them but to be honest it felt very close to it. I cannot help but think the stable door is going to be closed long after the horse has bolted with this particular disease.

That vet is an idiot. TB is closely monitored and tested for in our areas and Outbreaks 99% of the time are not caused by farmers.
Johnes is also tested for and farmers can make a conscious choice whether they take the risk with it or not when buying (it is possible to buy johnes free accredited cattle). Mycoplasma, as far as I can see is ignored by everyone and then the calf reader is left to pick up the pieces whilst many dairy farmers blackmail their weak vets into giving them Marbocyl rather than doing the right thing and culling the carriers.

 

[Andy54]

You say the calves came from a supplier in Cheshire, did they pass through any markets? I am guessing that they are from numerous farms and from experience mixing calves doesn't help as they each come with their own problems. We were recommended Zactran by our vet when it first came on the market, its now known here as killing juice as every animal that we ever gave it to has ended on the knacker wagon. Have tried Draxxin and that is considerably better but at the moment we are using Resflor and getting a reasonable response with any that has been jabbed. I also wouldn't bother blood testing if you are worried about taking the infection home, put the lot in the fattening pen and chalk it up to experience. First loss is best loss as my Grandad used to tell us.

 

[Samcowman]

We also rear Calves and get the odd one with mycoplasma thankfully not as bad as you. We use draxxin and loxicom as draxxin is better at hitting it than zactran according to the vets.
The nz approach of culling entire herds with it is to be applauded and hopefully it works. They haven’t got any new cases that can’t be traced back to the original.
Going sled replacing herd is definitely the way ahead for keeping lots of nasties at bay it’s the way I’ve gone and we are clear of bvd and working on Johnes

 

[Andy54]

You say that you wash your feed buckets between feeds but not between pens, as pointed out to us by a feed rep to have any benefit you would also have to wash the calves. Whereabouts are you in the world? If calves have come from market to you they could quite easily go 24 hours without a feed - if they were lucky enough to be fed before going to market. From experience, sad to say, mixing calves from different sources, stressing them with long journeys in hot transport and all the other things going on creates the perfect ground for stress - for you and the calf.
Think we saw every vet that works for our practice when we really struggling with it and most had no ideas and if the truth be told no interest in getting it sorted, all they worry about is TB testing, they never ring to see how the animal is they saw yesterday but if the think their is a TB tracing test they are missing out on they are soon on the phone badgering us to come and get it done. Plenty on here who will willingly answer questions and offer advice after suffering with similar things, and they don't charge either!!

 

[skidless]

We had an outbreak of mycoplasma last year , we buy calves in and about a week after I bought a batch one had one ear dropped , runny nose etc , vet diagnosed mycoplasma , the only thing that helped was draxxin , the approach we took was to take all calves temperatures , some stronger calves showed no real signs of illness but had a very high temp so we jabbed all calves in any pen that had a raised temp even if some didn't have a high temp , this seemed to work and fortunately we only lost one out of 45 calves. It is a horrible thing to have to deal with I dreaded going in the calf building , the impression I got was that the vet new very little about mycoplasma.

 

[HappyShep76]

We had an outbreak of mycoplasma last year , we buy calves in and about a week after I bought a batch one had one ear dropped , runny nose etc , vet diagnosed mycoplasma , the only thing that helped was draxxin , the approach we took was to take all calves temperatures , some stronger calves showed no real signs of illness but had a very high temp so we jabbed all calves in any pen that had a raised temp even if some didn't have a high temp , this seemed to work and fortunately we only lost one out of 45 calves. It is a horrible thing to have to deal with I dreaded going in the calf building , the impression I got was that the vet new very little about mycoplasma.

We have “blanket” treated some calves and being quite successful with it. Some were treated because they were from herds that we had problems with and others as you say we’re running temperatures and as a group we’re not quite right.

 

[Hampton]

We had an outbreak of mycoplasma last year , we buy calves in and about a week after I bought a batch one had one ear dropped , runny nose etc , vet diagnosed mycoplasma , the only thing that helped was draxxin , the approach we took was to take all calves temperatures , some stronger calves showed no real signs of illness but had a very high temp so we jabbed all calves in any pen that had a raised temp even if some didn't have a high temp , this seemed to work and fortunately we only lost one out of 45 calves. It is a horrible thing to have to deal with I dreaded going in the calf building , the impression I got was that the vet new very little about mycoplasma.

Not sure how he could diagnose it without a lab test. It looks the same as all other pneumonias

 

[Chasingmytail]

I am reading this in shock this is horrific - really? Have you been in touch with the seller? Cost wise how much have you spent in vets fees and meds. How much have you spent plus the losses. This is like Russian Roulette with animals.

We had stock from Blade farming before but only on a tiny scale I didnt like it you dont know what you are buying you have no idea of what is lurking in the home farm and bring it to your own farm? A load of sick stock which you have to vaccinate and medicate at your cost? Surely you should have some health status from the seller?

Id be starting back to the seller Id be asking about their health plan even find out who their vet is and have a chat. Be suspicious of their systems. I'd change vets and get something a bit more solid and have them check over your system. We have some bossy lady vets that really do say what is not acceptable.

I think this is heart breaking to hear and seeing those poor calves. This is eating at your margins.

 

[Chasingmytail]

Silly question you say Supplier - is this a farm or group buyer from different farms? Just because you havent had an issue before doesnt mean they havent got something at source. This is a serious welfare issue imo.

 

[Hampton]

I am reading this in shock this is horrific - really? Have you been in touch with the seller? Cost wise how much have you spent in vets fees and meds. How much have you spent plus the losses. This is like Russian Roulette with animals.

We had stock from Blade farming before but only on a tiny scale I didnt like it you dont know what you are buying you have no idea of what is lurking in the home farm and bring it to your own farm? A load of sick stock which you have to vaccinate and medicate at your cost? Surely you should have some health status from the seller?

Id be starting back to the seller Id be asking about their health plan even find out who their vet is and have a chat. Be suspicious of their systems. I'd change vets and get something a bit more solid and have them check over your system. We have some bossy lady vets that really do say what is not acceptable.

I think this is heart breaking to hear and seeing those poor calves. This is eating at your margins.

I spent £4500 last December on draxxin, metacam and risproval 4. It was a bitter pil to swallow, but gives you a lot of experience.
Heaven knows what it’s cost the OP!

 

[Andy54]

I am reading this in shock this is horrific - really? Have you been in touch with the seller? Cost wise how much have you spent in vets fees and meds. How much have you spent plus the losses. This is like Russian Roulette with animals.

We had stock from Blade farming before but only on a tiny scale I didnt like it you dont know what you are buying you have no idea of what is lurking in the home farm and bring it to your own farm? A load of sick stock which you have to vaccinate and medicate at your cost? Surely you should have some health status from the seller?

Id be starting back to the seller Id be asking about their health plan even find out who their vet is and have a chat. Be suspicious of their systems. I'd change vets and get something a bit more solid and have them check over your system. We have some bossy lady vets that really do say what is not acceptable.

I think this is heart breaking to hear and seeing those poor calves. This is eating at your margins.

When you are losing calves like this (have been there) animal welfare becomes a secondary concern, hard as it is to say, you dread coming out of the house to what you may find. It is absolutely soul destroying because no matter what you do you will always get those animals that have a second bout and you know that no matter what you do it ain't always going to be successful. Coming on here and asking questions and talking about what is happening is the best thing the op can do for their own welfare, both long and short term . Hopefully we all can learn something that improves our lot and helps the op get through what I know is a really stressful time.