Make this my home page Wed, May 22, 2013
Corn
Soybeans
Wheat
Canola
Pulse
Cotton
Hay & Forage
Horticulture
Swine
Beef
Dairy
Poultry
Machinery
Technology
Business & Finance
Energy
Government & Policy
Equine
Rural Lifestyle
Canada - East
Canada - West
Farm Equipment Dealers
Farm Show

Farms.com Corporate Sites
Farm Focus
Career Opportunities
Market Opportunities
   
Featured Content



Control Scours With Quality Nutrition by Ann Kopecky (Dec 17, 2012)
Bookmark and Share
On average, calf scours account for 36 percent of all death losses between birth and 30 days of age. The economic loss for the producer can be anywhere from $50 per calf born to $200 per scouring calf. These losses include the cost of dead calves, stunted calves, labor and medication. As cold winter temperatures set in, these costs and working to prevent calf scours are at the top of every cattle producer’s mind.
 
Scours can be caused by viruses, bacteria and parasites. Disease conditions are created when these agents damage the villi that line the intestinal tract. This damage prevents normal absorption of fluids and nutrients. Weather is one the biggest outside influencers to newborn calves, along with difficult births, poor sanitation, and the reduced health status of the mother. When these conditions are present and the calf’s resistance to disease is lowered, the induction and overload of e-coli and salmonella are more likely to cause lowered production, possibly death.
 
Before calving season gets under way, producers should consider these management tips to prevent scours:
 
·         Assist with calving
·         Keep a clean area just for calving
·         Practice good sanitation
·         Make sure calves get plenty of colostrum and that they get it quickly within four hours after birth, if possible
·         Move healthy pairs to clean, open pastures
·         Keep cows healthy and nutritionally sound
 
Even before calving, producers should be considering the nutritional program they are implementing with the mother. The last four to five weeks before birth, everything the mother cow has is going into developing a healthy calf and quality colostrum. We need to feed the mother cow properly so she can produce a healthy calf and have good quality colostrum with high levels of antibody titers.
 
One area of prevention that continues to be researched is probiotics, or beneficial bacteria. Alternative non-antimicrobial products such as direct-fed microbials and/or mannan oligosaccharides (Bio-Mos®) have been implicated as possible intervention strategies. Bio-Mos, a product included in the Alltech Beef Advantage series, helps to maintain the gut health and integrity of the calf. By maintaining gut health and stability, we can reduce the need for therapeutic treatment during times of stress, reduce the producer’s time and labor inputs and improve calf livability, all of which increases the bottom line for that producer. 
 

The Alltech Beef Advantage series of natural solutions is aimed directly at optimizing rumen efficiency and maintaining animal health as well as meat quality, lameness and fertility issues. To learn more about Bio-Mos or the Alltech Beef Advantage program, contact us at 605.692.5310 or alltechsouthdakota@alltech.com

 

Editor’s Note: This commentary is sponsored by Alltech, Inc. For more information on animal health and nutrition, go to: www.alltech.com

This commentary is for informational purposes only. The opinions and comments expressed herein represent the opinions of the author--they do not necessarily reflect the opinion of Farms.com. This commentary is not intended to provide individual advice to anyone. Farms.com will not be liable for any errors or omissions in the information, or for any damages or losses in any way related to this commentary.

 

 
Sponsored Links: Best Yield Soybeans, Feed Efficiency, Hog Handling, Ileitis Research, Precision Farming, Swine Reproduction Software,
Home  |  About Us  |  Help  |  Advertising  |  Media Center  |  Careers@Farms.com
Terms of Access  |  Privacy Policy  |  Comments/Feedback/Questions?  |  Contact Us  |  Farms.com RSS Feeds
Copyright © 1995-2013 Farms.com, Ltd. All Rights Reserved.